


Reunion

by Inunanna



Category: InuYasha - A Feudal Fairy Tale
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-09-23
Updated: 2017-08-19
Packaged: 2018-08-16 22:07:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 24,499
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8119231
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Inunanna/pseuds/Inunanna
Summary: Inuyasha wanted to reconnect with a childhood friend he had always been in love with. Wanted to be part of her life again. He founds out he had been part of her life in more ways he had ever thought.





	1. Reunion

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Inuyasha. I do not intent to get any kind of retribution for this work of fan fiction.

 

**Reunion**

He parked the car in front of the blue house with the white metal fence, and turned off the car at the same time he took the cellphone out of his pocket and checked her last message.

 

“... the sky blue house with the white fence, the third from the corner” He counted the houses, it was the third house.

 

Getting out of the car he needed another moment to calm down. After all, how does one start a face to face conversation with an estranged childhood friend that was also your first love?... your first and kind of unrequited love... it was awkward to say the least.

 

Slowly he walked to the fence, she had told him it would be open. He found himself in front of the front door too soon for his liking. Rubbing his sweating hands on his pants again, he rang the bell, holding his breath trying to calm down as he fought with his ears to stay up and not flatten on his scalp.

 

The bell sounded strong in his ears and he paid attention to the soft steps that walked directly to the door and stopped just behind it. A deep breath sounded from the other side and the door finally opened.

 

He stood there drinking her in, reveling in her presence. She looked different, she wasn’t the nineteen-year-old teenager that he remembered, Kagome was a woman now. As she smiled at him, he could see how that smile remained bright and contagious, and in the way that it always had, it warmed his heart.

 

She tilted her head to the side and blinked a couple of times. Heat came to his cheeks as he realized she must have said something. The best way to make a good impression, he thought, stare like an idiot.

 

“Ah um, sorry...” he said meekly rubbing the back of his neck.

 

She laughed a little signaled him to come in. “It's nice to see you, Inuyasha.”  she declared as he walked into the living room.

 

“Same, Kagome”. He sat down as he looked around. It was a small house, two story building with maybe two or three bedrooms tops. The space designated as the living room had only one long couch and she seated herself beside him. “I thought you would be living on your family’s temple” He let out before he could stop himself.

 

Kagome's smile became forced “Me too, but many things happened, and for everybody's well-being my brother took care of it after my mother died.” her voice was even and controlled as she explained.

 

“Oh, sorry to hear that. I didn’t know about your mom... She was a great woman”.

 

She could feel the sincerity of those words as his golden eyes focused on her, and those white ears flattened on his head.  She felt a wave of all those feelings she had repressed all these years, after she was forced to leave his side the only thing she wanted to do now that he was finally in front of her was to hug him and hold him as close as was physically possible. Taking a deep breath, she gave him one of the calm smiles she had been practicing in front of the mirror since she had received the first mail from him a couple of weeks ago.

 

“And what have you done, what did you become?” She asked, trying to sound cheerful.

 

Inuyasha made a face as he remembered the kind of wreck he had been around the time she went away, his mother had just passed away, a few days after the first year anniversary of his father's death. Right when his brother took the rights on the family company and started to make his life a living hell. Honestly, he couldn't remember much of the months prior of her leaving. There was one thing he could remember perfectly, but if he didn't want to become a stuttering and babbling idiot in front of her, it was better to stay away from that special place. Clearing his throat, he answered slowly.

 

“Well, I pulled myself together and after fighting for what felt like an eternity ended up doing what my brother wanted...”

 

The girl winced at the sudden bitterness of his tone. “I transferred to America for a couple of years and finished my” his voice went higher in a mocking way while his eyes expressing sarcasm. “ _elite education_. Came home, and married the woman he had chosen for me.”

 

His eyes focused on her waiting for some kind of reaction to his words, something that could give him hope. Anything that could be used as an excuse to keep him wondering that maybe, just maybe his lovely Kagome felt something remotely close to what he felt. But he found nothing, her reaction was a curt nod with a sympathetic look on her face, no shock, no sadness whatsoever.

 

“...I worked in the company, I started as a desk employee, not accepting the high paid job he wanted for me. And I divorced the woman as fast as the prenup let me, the fact that I didn’t like the pompous life my brother favors made it really easy.”

 

A small hope came to life inside his chest when this time he got a response, her eyes went wide and a mix of surprise and something that resembled... fear? Crossed her face before it came back to her polite smile.

 

“... And right now I’m working on starting my own little company.”  He gave her a proud smile as he announced the last part, gaining a real smile from her.

 

“Sounds really... intense. And honestly I’m shocked your brother let you work on your own.” Her tone was light even as her face was serious.

 

His smile became a lopsided smirk that showed one of his fangs. Kagome blinked rapidly to erase a very similar face from her sight. “I don’t need his permission for nothing... ‘sides I never said he knew” He finished with a raised eyebrow and a mischievous glint in his eyes, and she found herself laughing at his antics. She had missed this, she had missed him so much.

 

“And, what about you?”  his question was delivered with some hesitancy.

 

Kagome stood up and gave a few steps toward what seemed to be the kitchen. “I’m such a bad host! Do you want some tea? I would love some right now”  

 

“Um... ok?”

 

The woman smiled at him and darted to the kitchen. Inuyasha couldn’t decide if he should follow her or stay on the couch, his ears flicking nonstop trying to figure out what she was muttering to herself but whatever she was doing didn’t let him hear clearly. At the end he chose to roam around the living room as a few photographs were on the wall.

 

The first one was one of her family, her grandfather, mother, brother and herself. She looked so young and happy, it had been taken before she left Kyoto, because he remembered perfectly that the main reason for her to move to Tokyo was the passing of her grandfather, he smiled softly he was an annoying but kind old man. One that always took him aside to remind him to keep his paws off his granddaughter. Shaking his head, he focused on the next one.

 

It was an even older photograph, it had her father in it. She must have been around five or six years old, her little brother was in her mom’s arms as she stood in front of her dad with that enormous smile of hers, and now that he paid attention to the man, she had inherited it from him. Both of them shared the same brighter-than-the-sun smile. Inuyasha wished to meet the man, too bad he had arrived in Kagome’s life years after her family lost that man.

 

The next was a slightly bigger photo, it also had a better frame. It was a wedding photo. The floor moved below his feet for a moment and had to reach for the wall to avoid the dizziness. It was Kagome’s wedding picture. And of course she looked incredible beautiful and happy. He had prepared himself for this possibility, after all, she did have the right to get married and be happy. But in his hellish imagination, he had always picture her with a human. Someone that was the exact opposite of what he was.

 

A calm, well-educated and kind HUMAN. Deep down he accepted it was the only way to cope with it. The one she chose to be her beloved one had to be different from him, not a lowly hanyou, son of a mistress, with bad temper. It was the reason she never loved him back. But she had married a fucking youkai and by his looks it was a wolf youkai. In the picture she was happily looking at the camera from her husband arms, and only his profile was visible as he was kissing her cheek, his pointy ears and his glowing blue eyes signaling his supernatural blood.

 

From the corner of his eye he could see the next picture, and he was sure it had a child in it. His dizziness returned, this time along with the need to empty his stomach. In the back of his mind a little voice was telling him that he was being overdramatic and he had no right to be like that. At the same time, he could not bring himself to look at the next picture.

 

Closing his eyes, he tried to calm himself as he took a deep breath. Gathering the courage to look at the next frame when her steps announced her return. His body moved on its own as his head turned to her direction and asked “You got married?” The accusing tone was evident for the both of them as Kagome flinched before the hanyou and his stance changed from alert to ashamed.

 

Kagome’s eyes became serious and she sat without answering him. Inuyasha knew he had made her mad. She poured the tea in two cups and sat one beside her after sweetening it with honey. Without a word from her he walked back to the place he had occupied before as he felt something warm inside his chest, noticing she still remembered how he liked his tea.

 

After pouring her own and giving it a sip, she looked at him, directly into his eyes. Finding it difficult to stay angry when he looked really ashamed of his behavior.  “Answering your question, yes I got married” she pointed to the picture. “That man was my husband... I keep it there because Asahi likes it, even if it makes Ayame uncomfortable sometimes”

 

Inuyasha didn’t follow all her explanation as his mind got stuck on one little word “was?” he repeated softly.

 

Kagome took another sip of her tea before answering. Enjoying the exasperation that flashed through his eyes for a brief moment. “Yeah, it's not glamorous to frame the divorce papers and put them on the wall, but we got divorced a few months later.”

 

It became evident for Kagome that he wanted more information, his eyes were fixed on her, his ears turned on her and on full alert. For a moment she wondered how would his tail be moving if he had one. He hadn’t even acknowledged her lousy joke.

 

“Yeah, when you realize that what you have is more like a strong non-sexual friendship than a romantic relationship it's easy to get divorce on friendly terms. Besides it’s difficult to play cupid when one of the people is still your husband”  

 

His expression screamed ‘ _what the fuck, Kagome?_ ’ even when he stayed quiet trying to digest it.  She was getting nervous, knowing that being as smart as he was the next question could only be one.

 

She took her cup of tea and stood up again, at the same time his eyes became wide and focused on her again. “But you have a kid...” it wasn’t a question, though he was asking to know more.

 

“I need to start with the lunch.” She started to walk to the kitchen again, this time he didn’t hesitate to follow her.

 

Kagome wasn’t sure he had looked at the pictures of her son, she deduced he hadn’t paid attention to them because he would have phrased the question very differently.

 

For his part, Inuyasha’s head was spinning as he reached the Kitchen and took a seat on the kitchen bar without her permission. She had said a “non-sexual friendship” but she had somehow ended up with a kid. When he first arrived to the door he had taken a few discreet sniffs and he couldn’t find a male scent on Kagome, at least not one that had stayed on her after her bath, like the smell of a mate would. Around the house there were several scents, maybe from a recent gathering, but inside the kitchen there were fewer. The strongest one was Kagome’s and the one of a boy. If Kagome scent reminded him of lavender and light and freshness, the kid’s reminded him of sunshine, the smell of the early morning, and with that thought still on his mind his eyes found the fridge.

 

Kagome was trying to avoid him the longer he could. Knowing that as soon as she got into the subject it would take some time, she set the hot pot to slow heat, knowing it would be ready around the time she needed to be. Steeling her nerves for what was to come, Kagome took a deep breath and turned to him. Expecting to find his eyes on her and barely holding to his patience.

 

But his eyes were locked on the few drawings she had on display. She took her favorite and handed it to him, Inuyasha didn’t move, just his eyes moved with the picture until it was on the counter in front of him. He felt his nausea come back viciously, parted his lips trying to keep it on bay.

 

“I do have a son, Inuyasha” she said with a soft voice.

 

The raven haired woman felt horrible as she watched his reaction, he looked like a cornered and panicked dog. He wouldn’t appreciate the analogy, but it was the only thing that came to mind. His normally tanned and healthy complexion was yellow-greenish, his eyes were wide and moving erratically from the drawing and her face, and he was gasping for air.

 

She handed him a glass of water. “Breathe, everything is alright...”  His golden eyes stared at the glass and took a slow and long sip, until it was empty.

 

Feeling worse by the second she let him calm down on his own, after what felt like an eternity his raspy voice reached her.

 

“Is he human?” He already knew the answer, but maybe, just maybe he got it all wrong.

 

Kagome slowly shook her head with sad eyes

 

“He is a hanyou...”

 

Kagome shook her head again, this time holding her tears. “Not exactly... and he is not Kouga’s son.”

 

Inuyasha’s heart was drumming on his chest, it was difficult to hear something other than the beating on his ears but her words had reached him entirely. He wasn’t sure what was he feeling, was it anger? Was it fear? Happiness perhaps? A combination of them all? He just was sure of something; he would be really embarrassed if he fainted right there on her kitchen...

 

“Breathe, Inuyasha...” repeated Kagome with her soft voice. A growl and an accusing stare were her only answer.

 

Feeling like human garbage for breaking his heart like that, she turned to hide her tears, using the hotpot as an excuse to avoid his eyes. Kagome wanted to hit herself for doing this. She had planned it so differently.

 

According to her they would have a nice conversation about the past and the good times together, something with the cheerfulness of their recent electronic conversation. And along the catching up she would slowly ease him into the whole ‘I have a son’ conversation, giving him clues, and slowly explaining these last nine years to him. But no! She had been stupid enough to let him alone with all her photos and shocking him like that.

 

She walked out of the kitchen, not being noticed by him until she placed the photo he had refused to look at, beside the drawing. His wench had robbed him of his last moments of denial with a simple action.

 

“His name is Asahi, he just turned eight and he is a quarter dog youkai.” She explained with the softest and kindest voice he had ever heard from her.

 

Inuyasha was the one holding his tears now as he looked back and forth from the picture and the drawing. The boy, Asahi - he corrected himself-, had her mother’s black hair, and he kept it short, a little longer than his own, he had a pair of black and soft looking ears on top of his head, no doubt inherited from his father. Asahi also had the same smile as Kagome, it was the third generation with that smile, maybe if he didn’t feel as he did at that moment he could have commented on it. And the final touch, the thing that made his futile denial impossible to hold onto was the pair of bright golden eyes that mirrored his own.

 

“...Asahi” he tried the name out loud.

 

“...Yes, Asahi” She felt her heart race as she finished the sentence “...your son”.

 

His honey-colored eyes glowed with supernatural energy as they darted to her face and he snarled. It made the barely held tears stream down her face freely, he had never, not once in her life snarled at her, maybe some growls but never a full angered snarl.

 

Inuyasha saw her reaction as if he was watching it on a television, with a detachment that would have frightened him if he was in another situation. But right now the safest emotion for his broken self was anger. Anger at the woman who had refused to tell him she was expecting his child, a woman that had kept him away from his son for the first eight years of his childhood. A woman that had been so ashamed of carrying a hanyou’s pup that had changed cities to keep it a secret. A woman he had loved for far longer than those eight years. If only she had said something back then...  a whine came out of him without his knowledge.

 

Kagome tried again “He is a great boy, incredibly intelligent and with a great heart”

 

This time he didn’t snarl, only lifted his head and stared at her for a long time. “Why... why did you never tell me?” he asked with a broken voice.

 

She gave him a bitter smile “It was more complicated than that...”

 

He growled deep on his chest “Try me...”

 

“I never got the chance to tell you, ok? Besides, is not like I could go to your home and say ‘remember that time you were really hurting after your mother died? The night we got incredibly drunk and hugged and kissed a lot and we woke up mostly naked? Well I’m sure we had sex because I’m pregnant!”  

 

“That was a perfect example of what you could have told me!” he was now standing up on the other side of the counter.

 

“I know! I know!” she also stood up and rested her hands on the counter before looking directly on his eyes. “But you were gone...” her voice was soft but those words had cut him deep.

 

“By the time I knew what was happening you weren’t here. And it was your brother who gave me the news, by the way.”

 

“The fuck are you talking about?”

 

She sat again and waited for him to do the same. “My mom, my brother and I moved here because my grandpa had died, but the temple had many debts, and my mom spent most of her savings trying to keep it working. She over exerted herself, and less than two months after coming here, she was hospitalized for what we thought it was just stress...”

Inuyasha was not liking where this was heading, Kagome’s scent was rapidly spiking with fear and sadness.

 

“But turns out it was not, it was cancer.” She turned and grabbed a couple of napkins, used one to clean her face and left a few on the counter before continuing “...And we had no money for her treatment, so I had the great idea to come back to Kyoto to ask you for help. I tried to reach you by phone, I hoped your anger for leaving you with such a short notice had subsided by then. But you didn’t answer. Then I thought of your brother, at least to ask him how to contact you...”

 

Inuyasha groaned, his brother was an ass. “By that moment three months had passed since the time we got drunk and hadn’t seen you for almost the same time.” Kagome’s eyes became hard and talked with a flat voice “I finally managed to see him and he behaved like the asshole he is, telling me you had gone away to study like your family deserved, even a bastard hanyou like you. I was desperate and told him what was happening and asked for his help. He agreed.” she let out a sarcastic laugh “too easily now that I look back. He only asked me to bring the papers of the temple as a guarantee of the loan, and he would take care of every expense, and that I would be free to pay back as fast as I feel comfortable.”

 

Inuyasha hoped the story didn’t finished like he was fearing “tell me you didn’t give it to him”

 

“I was really desperate and, I was really stupid back then” She walked to where she had placed the discarded cups and poured some tea, more as an excuse to pause her story and calm down than because she was thirsty. “When I came back with the papers, he took the originals, gave me a copy and a black credit card on my name. Said it had unlimited funds. And just before I walked out of his office he told me to use the money to take care of it...” Her teary eyes looked at him with something that looked like desolation.

 

“I was so stupid that didn’t know what he was talking about, so I asked and he mocked me telling me to stop playing the idiot. That he wouldn’t allow another bastard into the family. And I still didn’t get it... he had to spell it out to me, in the most humiliating way.” she closed her eyes remembering the cold smirk on his face as he finally stood from his chair and walked to her, looking at her stomach. “He said that it was low enough to lay with a hanyou, that it was enough shame on my family to also be the one to carry his child, that he could smell _it_ inside me. I just...”

 

Her eyes opened scared as Inuyasha snarled again. His face was contorted in a pure fury as he stood up and started to stomp his way back and forward around the kitchen. “That fucking bastard! I will kill him!” another growl sounded on his chest and he kept pacing. “I swear he will pay!”

 

She waited until he walked close to her and grabbed his sleeve “And what would that change, Inuyasha?” he question delivered with a calm voice betrayed by the tears still streaming down her face “Would that take away the humiliation? Would that erase all these years? It's not worth it...”

 

He stared at her for a long time, still growling on his chest from time to time. Her eyes weren’t wavering, she really believed on what she was telling her. His wench was amazing, he lacked all the strength and love she had. Before he could stop himself he kissed her forehead and walked to his seat, again.

 

Kagome was too shocked to continue. “So, what happened after he told you to...” a new growl finished the question.

 

“I stood there stupidly not believing what he said. And before he dismissed me from his office, he told me that if I didn’t dispose of the baby and planned to contact you to tell you the news, he would fight for it and take it from me... and made it clear that with his kind of money it was easy to do. Of course he told me that if I kept it and raised it on my own, living in disgrace we won’t have any problems, as long as I didn’t involve you...”

 

Inuyasha was really upset again, growling with every breath he managed to get. Kagome stretched her hands to hold his. From the moment her soft skin touched his, the growing subsided.

 

“You want me to continue?”

 

A white head nodded slowly, not trusting his throat to answer.

 

“I came back to Tokyo and went to the doctor, and they confirmed it, I was pregnant, ten weeks along, a little more than three months. And I completely panicked. I didn't know what to do.” Kagome admitted with a sad smile.

 

She did not expect the hurt on his face, his shoulders slumped and his ears were draped over his head and he had taken his hands from hers. Kagome wasn't sure what had put him in that state.

 

He lowered his eyes, staring at spot on the counter. “Did you ever...” he cleared his throat. “I mean; I understand that maybe you didn't want to...after all It was a hanyou’s pup”. That was the moment Kagome understood what was on his mind, she had forgotten how strong his inferiority complex was.

 

“What? No! How could?  I Just!!...” she groaned and slapped one of his hands. “I panicked thinking how could I break the news to my family... we were in a tough spot, with my mom and her health... not because I didn't want him... It took me a while to process it all, yes. I mean we were not in that kind of relationship.”

 

They were both blushing now, discreetly looking at the other from the corner of their eyes. “And I didn't have that much experience with the whole sex thing. I mean, I was three months pregnant and until that moment on your brother’s office I hadn’t realized I missed three consecutive periods. I Knew something was a little off, but I thought it was because all that had happened.” She gave him an awkward smile.

 

A weird silence settled between them, not knowing how to move to another topic. Suddenly Kagome stood up “I’ll be right back!” she said with a cheerful tone as she launched to the stairs. He could hear her move things around and exclaiming “Where is it?” from time to time.

 

Inuyasha took the opportunity to look at his son’s picture again. Even saying it inside his head felt weird. He took a deep breath, he had a son.

 

Thinking back to this morning the best outcome he had thought possible was Kagome accepting his lunch or dinner invitation, depending on the mood. And the worst had been having to have lunch or dinner with Kagome’s husband. This kind of development was too farfetched to even play on his mental theatre.

 

His son looked at him from the photo with his bright smile and sparkly eyes. He looked like a happy boy. He frowned when something dawned on him. Looking at that little head, it looked like his only contribution were the eyes and ears. The skin, lips, hair, and face structure looked like hers... well maybe the nose was his too. Inuyasha told himself to wait until meeting the pup to decide if he had inherited something else from him.

 

The sound of Kagome walking down the stairs slowly took him out of his musings. Before he could see her he asked. “Where's my pup, wench?”

 

Kagome smiled to herself, feeling relieved, that sounded more like the Inuyasha she knew and loved. “You mean where is Asahi?”

 

She answered at the same time she placed the albums on the counter.

 

Inuyasha grunted something that resembled a “Yeah, that’s what I meant” and Kagome smiled.  

 

“He is at Kouga’s...”

 

His eyes were traveling across the albums she had brought when the name registered on his head, and those honey eyes darted to her face. “Kouga... as in, your ex-husband?” he asked with a voice that sounded close to a growl.

 

Kagome deadpanned as she looked at him. He had been a father for less than half an hour and was already judging her decisions. “No, Kouga as one of my best friends”.

 

Inuyasha huffed, “That’s not normal, Kagome” he told her as he shook his head. “It’s fucking weird”.

 

Kagome ignored him as she searched for a special album. “Found it!” Kagome handed the album to him “And it has nothing weird about a boy spending the night with friends” she added, even as she knew her hanyou had no ears for her words. He was completely engrossed looking at the first page. the album was special for two reasons, it had been bought and filled by her mother, and it had the first pictures of Asahi and the only ones of her pregnancy.

 

The page he was studying had the first sonogram, taken during the thirteenth week. “We were just beginning the second trimester, meaning he was a little smaller than this” Until that moment he had been tracing his finger on the little white bean-looking thingy on the center of the image, but as she stopped talking he looked up. Her breath hitched as his golden eyes looked at her with an intensity that almost felt like he was seeing through her. His focus traveled from her face to her fingers, where she was signaling a space around four inches between her fingers.

 

“...So small.” his words were breathed out in a reverent way.

 

He returned to the pages, the next one had a picture of her profile with her flat belly exposed, he caressed the place she was exposing to the camera. The corner of his lips pulled up slightly as he noticed the expression she wore “You looked embarrassed...”

 

She chuckled “I was incredibly embarrassed to do that.” Inuyasha kept his eyes on the album but both of his ears were pointed at her, so Kagome continued. “I kept telling my mom how unnecessary that was, I didn’t have a belly to show. But she said that I would regret it if I didn’t take it then.”  She laughed humorlessly “And now I know she was right...”

 

Inuyasha stopped going through the pages and his ears when down to end up draped on his head again. “How did she take it?”  

 

Kagome blinked confused at his question. In front of him were both the sonogram and the pictures of the seventh month, it wasn’t a complicated picture. “My mom was on the couch and I was beside the television.” she answered confused.

 

Inuyasha scoffed, but didn’t raise his eyes “Stupid. I meant how did she react to the pregnancy news?”

 

“Oh”

 

His voice went lower, almost like a velvety whisper. “Was she mad?”

 

She shook her head “I think she was more surprised than anything else. I never had a boyfriend, so she never thought about that possibility.” She bit back the sob and stop for a moment. “And after the initial shock she said we needed hope and good news, and a baby could mean both”

 

Inuyasha felt a few treacherous tears fall as he thanked that special woman for being as amazing as she always was.

 

“... everything went well until I didn’t want to share who was the father.” As soon as her words left her lips she knew how it could sound in his ears so she practically stumbled with her own words as she tried to explain. “Not because I was embarrassed of carrying your child, but because I knew my mom, and It didn’t matter how weak she could be, if she knew what your brother had said she would have gone to give him a piece of her mind.” She made a face “And it would only mean more problems for everyone.”

 

Suddenly Kagome laughed with genuine emotion and he found himself watching her in awe. “It didn’t matter how much I tried to keep it a secret, as soon as Asahi was born she knew. Never tried to convince me to say it out loud but she knew.”

 

Kagome turned a few pages on the album, stopped where a picture of a very red and bloated baby looked at the camera, he had his golden eyes grumpily focused as if he was getting ready to cry, on the top of his head two still-folded puppy ears were resting between soft as cotton looking black hair. “This is his first photo”

 

His eyes traveled to the picture beside the one Kagome was signaling, it was a photo of his very tired and sweaty Kagome, looking at the baked-sweet-potato-looking baby on her arms with so much love and reverence that goosebumps erupted on his arms.

 

The album was opened on a page close to its last, Kagome reached for the album again and turned its pages until it was on the very last page, it had an envelope glued to it instead of a picture, she opened and gave him the pictures.

 

His breath was caught on his throat. The pictures were of him, during the years he had known Kagome, from middle school, through high school, to the year they had entered college. On those pictures he was smiling, sulking, arguing, but he realized how obvious was the adoration in his eyes in every picture where he looked at Kagome. There was one especially, taken during one of the stupid plays Kagome’s friends used to write for school festivals. In this particular one, Kagome had been the princess and he was just a page-boy, but as he held her hand while she exited the _carriage,_ his eyes were on her showing so much, it hurt to look at it, all these at the same time Kagome was looking down deciding how to step down.

 

“These were the evidence of how much she knew. But never pressured me to do anything about it”.

 

Carefully he put the pictures back where they belonged.

 

Kagome’s phone rang and she walk away to answer at the same time he took another album. A fang-showing smile formed on his face as he saw the first pictures, looked like this one had Asahi’s kindergarten years.

“Yes, it’s alright... I know. Yes!... Tell your husband to stop cursing so much... Yeah, I’ll be waiting. Ok, bye” He could hear her answer with a bored voice before starting to walk back to him

When Kagome came back Inuyasha was holding an album and pointed repeatedly to a person on Asahi's last Kindergarten play. And the person he was signaling was Kouga. “He is in almost every picture of the pup at school!” He declared with a tone that sounded close to an accusation.

 

“I know... he was in almost every event of the Kindergarten”

 

His brows were low and THE vein was starting pulsate on the middle of his forehead. “That means around two years Kagome.” He explained, trying to make her reveal what she had hidden, but she just nodded. He huffed and continued “And you said you were married for just a few months”

 

“Oh! This is why you’re angry?” she laughed and his anger grew even more “We got divorced at least a year before Asahi started to go to school”

 

This time he gaped. She meant this man had been around them always. But not anymore, he promised to himself.

 

“And he wasn’t there for Asahi, it was for his twins.”

 

The only thing he could do was blink stupidly as he waited for her to decide to talk again.

 

“He remarried a few months after we got divorced and they adopted the twins, Ginta and Hakkaku, whose age is the same as Asahi, so he has been in almost every school event since always.”

 

Kagome smiled with a hint of embarrassment “For a long time I’ve thinking he wanted to marry me and divorce me - I was the one to file for divorce after noticing how my husband and one of my best friends were in love - so I could say I was a divorced woman with a child and not a single mother. And I appreciate it.”

 

He only nodded. “How old was the pup when you married him?”

 

“Um... he was two years old, I think. It was a few months after your wedding.”

 

“How do you know when I got married?” he asked really confused.

 

Kagome shrugged “Your brother” On her lips was a sardonic smile. “He took the time to come and deliver an invitation to your wedding telling me he had finally found a real woman that accepted you, and as he left the invitation on my table he managed to make it clear she was worthy of becoming part of the family and that he was disappointed in my decision to keep the little beast, and made it clear the invitation was only informative and that I wasn’t welcome”.

 

The growl resonated across the room before he could stop it “I'll fucking kill him, Kagome.” His words were solemn and was taken aback by Kagome’s soft smile and the calm that she radiated.

 

“It’s not important anymore, the debt is paid and you are here. And that is enough for me.”

 

Inuyasha avoided her eyes and mumbled something that Kagome heard as “You are way too calm. It's weird...” She giggled lightheartedly. “Side effect of raising a child that is capable of doing weird and surprising things since he was in the cradle”

 

He wasn't ready to let the subject go and spoke as he centered his gaze on a picture of what looked like a year-old baby hanging from the closet door, with a big smile and holding an arm up calling his mom.

 

“I married her because the fucker needed to secure the cooperation of her father's company, he said I would be able to divorce in a year and we didn't have to live in the same house.”  A humorless laugh interrupted his words “And I was too stupid and believed him. The prenup said we had to live together for almost three years. It was hell, she didn’t want to be married, at least not to me and I didn't even like the bitch. And as soon as we could we parted ways and we barely say hello to each other when we see each other somewhere.”

 

“...That explains it, right?”

 

“What?”

 

“The reason why your brother was so proud and ready to let me know you were getting married, he was making us both play his game...” She stopped talking as her face changed into one of confusion “How did you find me?”

 

A part of the wall beside her head became really interesting as he was trying to put it into words without sounding like a creeper. It was a difficult task “Um, you remember Sango?”  Kagome nodded thinking he had asked her email address to her. “Well, she married the stupid lecher that was always trying too hard.”

 

“They belong together in a really strange way” She commented with a smile.

 

“Yeah” he gave her a goofy smile “I think he became addicted to her punches... Anyways, a few weeks ago they invited me over and she had her computer open and it had a mail from you...andIreaditandmemorizedtheaddressandsendyouamessagethenextday.”

 

Kagome stared at him confused. “You did what?” she was fighting back a smirk. He looked so shy and embarrassed, with his face blushed, his eyes going back and forth, never stopping on her.

 

“I took your address from Sango’s computer, OK?”  He admitted with a defensive tone and this time Kagome laughed out loud. He was sulking by the time she had calmed down.

 

“Is it that funny for you, wench?”

 

Kagome patted his hand, “It's not THAT funny, it's just that I’m sure Sango would have given it to you if you’d asked. She asked for my permission in one of her messages.”

 

Inuyasha was ready to retort when the doorbell rang. Kagome gave him a full smile before walking to the door. He wanted to follow her and be there the moment she opened the door, but his feet became too heavy and his legs felt too rubbery to stand. Cursing his own cowardice, he knew he had to wait for them to come to the kitchen again.

 

“Hi!” a high pitched voice greeted as soon as the door opened, it was the voice of a woman, not a child, Inuyasha deduced from the Kitchen

 

“Hi Ayame, how was the slumber party?”

 

The other woman laughed “Noisy as always, I can’t wait to go home and sleep.”

 

“Hello baby, did you have a good time?” He heard clothes moving, maybe they were hugging. The sound stopped being clear as his heartbeat returned to his ears. He would finally hear his pup’s voice.

 

His ears lowered a bit when the answer was a muffled “mmhmm”

 

“Thank you for dropping him off, Ayame. Thank Kouga for me too”

 

“Yeah, no probs.” The woman’s voice became lower and secretive “Sure you’re alright?”

 

“Yeah, and he can still hear you, you know?”

 

The woman laughed “Oops, forgot, Hanyou right? Good luck and I’ll see you later, hun.”

 

Kagome waved good bye to Kouga and the kids in the car before she closed the door, and finally realized Asahi was not with her anymore.

 

During the short conversation between his mom and his aunt, Asahi had started sniffing something on the house, or better said, someone. It was a man, he didn’t like it when men stayed too long around his mom, they sometimes started to smell too weird and it made his mom uncomfortable.

He left his backpack on the couch and follow the scent to the kitchen. As soon as the man became visible he stopped walking.

 

He was big, bigger than mom, maybe as big as uncle Kouga, few people were bigger than uncle Kouga. Asahi could only see his profile and gasped when a pure-white ear pointed in his direction. He had seen this man before, in pictures and from mom's stories of when she was little, it was her hanyou friend. Asahi had always wanted to meet him.

 

He was still not looking at him when Asahi walked closer and sat on the chair beside him. The boy took a sniff of him and frowned, the big man smelled of fear. What could make him feel fear?

 

Trying to look at the man’s eyes he leaned forward. “Why are you scared?” the boy asked trying to use the same voice his mom used when he was crying.

 

Inuyasha gave a small jump when the boy spoke. So this was how his son sounded. His son was sitting next to him, looking at him.

 

Inuyasha's nausea had come back as soon as the smell of his pup reached his nose. It was mixed with the smell of wolf youkai, but to his nose, it was perfect.  By the time his stomach had stopped doing the merry-go-round act and he felt confident on not throwing up on his son during their first meeting, the boy was sitting beside him with his head really close to him and the silver haired man finally turned to see him, his breath halted on his throat for the umpteenth time that day.

 

The little boy was leaning so close him that the little black head was almost on top of the arm resting on the counter. Asahi moved back slowly and tilted his head to the side as he stared at his father's face.

 

Inuyasha did his best at trying to smile, even as he knew it would only reflect how nervous he felt. His son was even more perfect in real life than he was in the pictures, he was a small boy, smaller than what he expected according to his age. A soft and innocent-looking boy. A boy with no sadness or bitterness in his eyes, only curiosity. And He had been right, Asahi’s eyes, nose and ears were pure him, a wave of pride swept through him... but the light he had and the gentleness he projected were Kagome’s.

 

“Are you afraid of mom?” the boy asked in a hushed voice, taking Inuyasha out of his special place. “...She is very nice and I’m sure she won’t yell at you...”

 

Inuyasha chuckled and cleared his throat again. “Does she yell at you?”

 

His head went up and down as he nodded, followed by a sudden stop and a hurried explanation “She yells when I do something wrong or something dangerous... When she yells it's because I deserve it... But I am not a bad boy!”

 

Inuyasha agreed with a solemn nod. A fight to utter an explanation of his presence or at least an introduction was happening inside him, he wanted to explain everything he could. He wanted his son to know who he was. But the fear of being rejected had him frozen in place. He closed his eyes for a moment to take a deep breath and finally start talking.

 

The air went in slowly, and came out in a rush when a pair of small hands touched his face. The little hands were barely touching his skin, grazing his way from his cheeks to the skin around his eyes.

 

“...I’ve never seen eyes like mine before” the boy whispered in awe, and Inuyasha’s eyes shot open, shocking his boy with the sudden movement.

 

The young boy looked down in a shy way. His body was stretched, with his knees on his stool and the rest of his body hovering over Inuyasha’s lap. “Sorry, my mom told me not to touch people without permission...” The small fingers started to retreat from his face at the same time his hanyou reflexes helped him to catch those soft hands in place.

 

“... you have my permission, pup” he purred as Asahi looked up with his eyes full of excitement and hope.

 

“Really?”

 

Inuyasha nodded, with his hands still on top of the little ones on his temples.  Missing the softness and the warmth as soon as he left the boy’s hands wander on his face.

 

Asahi look at the top of the silver haired head and giggled when Inuyasha flicked his ears in quick succession “I like your ears, they are so white, and pink!” the boy exclaimed as his hands followed his eyes.

 

Having the same kind of ears himself, he knew how to touch them without hurting those white fluffy ears.

 

“And I like yours, pup” said Inuyasha before blowing on one black ear that was just in front of his face, causing it to flick and another giggle came from the boy.

 

As the laugh died on his lips, Asahi frowned and look at his father with a serious face as he retreated to his stool. “My name is not pup... is Higurashi Asahi. A-sa-hi.” he repeated.

 

Inuyasha couldn’t stop the smile that invaded his face as the little boy looked just like his mom did the first time they met and he kept calling her ‘wench’. Seeing the expression on his little son turn sour after he laughed and put his hands up in a surrender stance. “I wasn’t laughing about your name, A-sa-hi”  

 

Said boy half-closed his eyes while deciding if it was true or not. At the end nodded and gave him a small smile.

 

Inuyasha cleared his throat, a voice in his head screaming how this was one of the biggest trials of the relationship he wanted to build. Explaining who he was, and what was their relationship. The stakes were too big, he had no idea what he could do if Asahi rejected him after knowing who he was. After knowing he was the father that had not been with him during the first eight years of his life. What if he said he didn’t want a father now? What if it was too late?

 

He shook his head before looking at his son tilt his head and sniffed, no doubt noticing his nervousness growing again. “I’m Inuyasha and--” His words interrupted with the sound of a soft voice.

 

“I know who you are...” Asahi declared with his head still tilted when he saw the white ears going flat.

 

“Y-you do?” his hesitant voice barely reached Kagome, who had been quietly listening behind the kitchen door, giving them space and the moment to meet each other on their own. But her son’s answer surprised her, almost enough to come out and ask what he was referring to.

 

“Mm, hm.” His short black bangs moved with the energetic nod he did. “You are my dad... right?” A hopeful smile with his innocent golden eyes were wide and fixated on his face.

 

The ground below Inuyasha’s feet shook again, the air left his lungs as the pressure was lifted from his shoulders. His boy had asked him if he was his father, with the hope he’d say yes. Not trusting his throat to make the sound he wanted instead of a pathetic whine. Inuyasha nodded.

 

“I knew it!” Asahi’s smile became a smirk. “I knew you would come someday...” he finished looking to the side.  

 

Without being able to stop himself, being inside of the sea of emotions he was feeling at the moment. Inuyasha’s clawed hand darted to the back of his son’s head and pulled at the same he moved closer, burrowing his nose in the crook of his small neck and circling his back with his free hand.

 

Asahi remained immobile for a moment, not expecting the display of that kind of speed to pull him closer, but the moment the warmth of his father was registered on his head along with his scent, instinct kicked in and he nuzzled the neck that was in front of him.

 

Inuyasha took a long breath, rejoicing in the moment. Nuzzling Asahi’s neck, enjoying the feeling so close to him. Being able to feel his warmth, the sensation of his soft hair on the side of his head. To have the opportunity to listen to the soft rumble coming from the little body he was holding. A voice kept repeating over and over on his head “my pup” he didn’t know it was his own voice he was hearing. A pair of arms circled his shoulders and his voice disappeared and a soft rumble answered his son’s.

 

They stayed like that, neither of them moving or knowing how much time had passed. The moment was broken when Asahi’s stomach made a loud announcement of his hunger.

 

Inuyasha chuckled and loosened the hold on his son, but not before he caressed the pinkish and soft cheek with his son and gave him a short lick.

 

The boy giggled with the tickling sensation and pulled back with his cheeks blushed and a small smile on his lips “Mom doesn’t like it when I lick her...”

 

Inuyasha let his hand slide from the black head to the back, happy because his son had not retreated completely but was still touching his thighs, holding part of his weight on him. “But, I ain’t your mom, right?”

 

Asahi beamed and nodded, “You’re my dad”.

 

Inuyasha turned his head to the side and offered his cheek. Slowly Asahi approached, supporting more of his weight on the hanyou. First a somewhat cold nose touched his cheek, closely followed by a small, warm and wet tongue tracing part of his jaw line. Too soon for his liking, Asahi was back on his stool, still with his bright smile on place “You taste different than mom...” The boy said more to himself that to him.

 

“You hungry?” Asked the older man and Asahi nodded and turned to the kitchen door.

 

“Moooom! I think the food is ready!” he yelled to the entrance.

 

A few sniffs sounded and a very red-eyed Kagome entered the kitchen, with a trembling but enormous smile.

 

“Are you two hungry?” she asked with a voice that broke after the first word.

 

Inuyasha saw her struggling to keep it together, a wave of immense gratitude flowed through him. Gratitude for loving and nurturing this child on her own during all these years, for loving him since she knew of his existence. Gratitude for giving him the opportunity of meeting Asahi, and giving them both the time to bond as youkai do.  

 

“...I think we are, right pup?”

 

“Yes! Very hungry!”

 

Kagome checked the pot and gave them green light. Asahi knew it was his responsibility to set the table and as fast as he could. He took his father’s hand and guided him to the table, indicated which chair would be his and came back to the kitchen to get everything for the table.

 

The meal happened with an air of surrealism for the three of them. Asahi spend most of the time talking about his friends and what he liked, while Inuyasha listened avidly and commented on the stories from time to time. The boy had also make sure to tell him how amazing his mother was every time he could, to which Inuyasha always agreed and Kagome blushed. The boy had made sure that now Inuyasha knew she worked in a day care since he was little and that she was really good with kids, that it didn't matter if they were humans, or youkai, she was amazing with everyone. To which Inuyasha only nodded and said he already knew.

 

Kagome only looked back and forth between the two men that she loved the most. Biting back the giggles when they reacted in a mirrored way or gave the same answer at the same time.

 

Before it was over their son asked to watch a movie “You said we would watch it today! And Dad also wanted to watch it, right dad?” was Asahi's answer when Kagome refused because it was not a good time.

 

His son was staring at him with his ears lowered, a pouty mouth and a pair of puppy eyes that had _not_ inherited from him. “I have no problem watching...” he searched for the name of the movie on the box “...shrek?”

 

Kagome chuckled at her half demon's expression at the moment he realized what movie their son wanted to watch. Asahi had taken special liking to that movie after she said his father really liked that movie when they were young.

 

After a few more minutes of begging, this time from both men Kagome finally agreed and her boy ran to the living room after putting his dishes on the sink. Inuyasha stayed behind to help her in the kitchen.

 

“It’s going better than expected” he whispered behind her.

 

Kagome turned her head and beamed with a smile “I’m really happy for that”, he smiled back and she returned to wash the dishes. Kagome jumped when she felt his head rest on her shoulder, he moved really slow towards the crook of her neck, giving her every chance to tell him to go away, but she didn't, and he was thankful for that.

 

His nose found the place he wanted and nuzzled. Kagome’s skin erupted with goosebumps and her head fell back, to rest on his chest, on its own accord, giving him better access on her skin. She felt his arms snaking around her torso and pulling her to his body slightly.

 

Kagome let out a sigh that bordered on a moan when he started to kiss a trail from her neck to her jaw, each kiss closer to her lips, but not quite there. She couldn’t help the whine that sounded when he returned to her jaw for the third time. “My Kagome...” reached her ears, his husky voice also resonated on his chest. And with a courage she didn’t know she possessed, her hand found the back of his neck and pulled him to her lips, and with a smile on his lips he complied.

 

It was a slow and intense kiss. Filled with everything that they weren’t able to say aloud. The recognition they wanted the other to be able to feel, the apologies they wanted to say, and the promises they wanted to make. Inuyasha was making that soft rumble on his chest that had always make her feel safe and her reaction was to melt deeper into his body with another moan of appreciation.

 

“I want to hug mom too!” came the yelp from the kitchen door as an indignated Asahi made his way towards them.

 

Inuyasha chuckled and started retreating from her body, not without licking the place he had nuzzled first, feeling her reaction, he smile and turned to see his son standing beside him with an annoyed expression.

 

“The movie is ready, come!” The boy took his hand and pulled him to the living room, where he also instructed which one was his seat. Asahi returned to the kitchen and brought her mother to the same couch and told her to sit beside Inuyasha.

 

His brow was still furrowed when he started the movie and walked back to the couch and instead of sitting on the vacant seat he stood in front of his parents. Kagome raised her hands in invitation, to let him sit on her lap, he shook his head and declared “I wanna sit with dad”

 

Inuyasha looked at Kagome with a surprised look and also raised his hands, the boy shook his head and showed him the way her mom did it when they watched a movie. The legs crossed at the ankles leaving a space for him to fit and resting his back on Inuyasha’s chest.

 

Asahi’s head reached just below his chin, he had also taken one of his father’s clawed hands and had put it on his lap, distractingly playing with it. With his free hand he searched for Kagome’s and held it.

 

Kagome started to fall asleep before the ogre and his friend reached the princess’ castle, with the head resting on his shoulder and her hand still loosely intertwined with his.

 

“She always falls asleep during movies...” Asahi whispered without moving his eyes from the screen.

 

“Really?” he whispered back.

 

“Yep, and then she asks me about how the movie ended” his voice sounded amused.

 

They remained quiet for a while, and after an especially funny dialogue, Asahi laughed and ended up with an arm curled on his free shoulder, the hand slowly traveled to his hair, which the boy used to play with it distractedly.

 

It was the scene where; Fiona was ready to say her secret but Shrek doesn’t let her say anything.

 

“Dad...”  Inuyasha answered with a sound from his throat and nudging his black head softly.

 

“Do you also transform during the new moon?”  

 

“Yes...”

 

“And the full moon too?”

 

“I don’t pup...”

 

“Good!”

 

“Why is it good?” he asked confused by the whole conversation.

 

“Because that way you can protect mom on the full moon nights”

 

Inuyasha didn’t know what to answer, with his throat completely blocked by the sob he was not going to let out.

 

Asahi had no idea how much it meant that to him, everything that the child was telling him with those simple words. He only kissed the top of his head and let his head fall back on the couch as the tears he had been holding all day started to travel down his cheeks.

 

And during the last scenes of the movie, where the princess accepts the kiss of true love. Inuyasha swore on his life to do whatever it would take to make this moment an everyday occurrence. Spend his time watching Asahi grow up, and loving Kagome...

 

It didn’t matter what was necessary, he would be part of this family, his family.

 

The end.


	2. The art of conversation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Inuyasha is coming back to his family after a week, but things don't turn out as he wished them. Things are not as easy as they seemed.

  1. **The art of conversation**



 

The kilometers passed slower than than he wished.  He debated between abiding the speed limit and getting there after three long hours, or going over the speed limit and reaching them faster but risk his safety.

 

Thinking about having someone waiting for him made him feel warm and giddy. Deciding  something on behalf of not disappointing those two that were expecting him created a stupidly wide, fang-showing smile on his face. For the first time in years, maybe for the first time in his life, he had something to look for to at the end of the day, at the end of the week. Whether it was Asahi's goodnight calls—with Kagome's sweet voice guiding their son—or the idea of expending the first weekend with them.

 

As car took another curve with ease, he remembered how hard it had been to say goodbye that night. It had been the most emotional day of his entire existence, and the end of it had not been different.

 

It was already dark outside when Kagome had mentioned that it was already late for Asahi’s bath, bringing the concept of time back to his life, and also the dread of parting from them. Kagome never pressured him to leave, actually he was sure she had done everything possible to give thim as much time as she had. But he had asked to meet on a sunday and they needed to get ready for the next day.

 

When the announcement of his imminent departure was made, Kagome's reaction told him that she was expecting it, even as her half smile and nod told him nothing more. It contrasted immensely with Asahi's, which had passed for the five stages of grief in less than thirty minutes.  

 

First, he had loudly announced that his father was not going anywhere and continued to search for the next movie to watch. As Kagome approached him, took his little hands in hers, and slowly pulled him closer and explained that dad needed to go back to his house. Asahi stood there trying to understand, and as Kagome only waited expectantly, without offering any kind if option he quickly moved to anger, blaming his mom for throwing his dad out.

 

Inuyasha hadn't seen his son angry and was surprised how much he could change. His little boy started to growl at Kagome in between his words and tried to pull his hands out of hers, but she held his as strongly as she could without hurting him. At first it was confusing for Inuyasha why she was so adamant on the subject, until between the accusations of how mom was being mean and an assbutt to his dad, Asahi declared he was not going to hit her if she let his hands go, that he promised it. Inuyasha's eyes were wide as, not for the first time that day he considered the difficulties she had to face as she raised their son alone. And, also not for the first time that day, he swore she wouldn't be alone anymore.

 

After being freed from Kagome's hold Asahi ran and hugged his father's waist. Crying and pleading with him to stay, and with that, breaking his heart a little more. Asahi promised his father he was going to be a good boy, that he would not be a bother, that he would always listen and follow directions, promising he would love him very much and never disappoint him.

 

Bewildered by his pleading, Inuyasha quietly screamed for help as he stared at Kagome with wide, teary, panicked eyes. Kagome was not far from him, holding herself with her arms around her and covering her lips as she tried to bite back a sob. She tried to calm herself and kneeled before him trying to dislodge Asahi from his waist and legs. With calm words she spoke into his little black ears, telling him that dad wasn't going away forever, that he was going to come back. And that didn't mean daddy didn't love him, that only meant that daddy’s job was very far away to drive from their home.

 

Inuyasha took this as his cue to start talking, explaining how he didn't want to go but he had to work and how dangerous it was to drive that long very early in the morning if he stayed the night. Also promising to come back as soon as he could.

 

Which started the bargaining stage. Asahi told his father to come back the next afternoon, Inuyasha said he couldn't. Asahi proposed the day after tomorrow, Inuyasha said he also couldn't. The question was made for the third time, and still the answer didn't change. Asahi asked very seriously if it was a lie he was coming back. Four days were way too long for his newly-turned-8-year-old head to fathom. Inuyasha promised to come back the next friday afternoon, and after a few moments of consideration his son accepted it and told his father, very seriously, he was not going to forgive him if he lied. And Inuyasha made a silent vow to do everything possible to avoid disappointing his child.

 

Asahi said goodbye with teary eyes and gave him hugs with such strength his little arms trembled as he refused to let go for a long time. 

 

A bittersweet smile appeared in his lips as he came back to the present, his mood ruined when his phone went off. It was from work. After a glance and a loud growl, he let it ring. He was not going to give anymore of his time to his asshole of a brother. He already gave him more than he deserved. Most likely the call was only meant to ruin his work. As the call went straight to voicemail Inuyasha remembered the only time he had seen his brother that week, hoping it was the last for a long time.

 

First thing Inuyasha did Monday morning was stomp his way to his brother’s office with his only objective being to give the asshole a piece of his mind.

 

An uncontrollable snarl came out of him, scaring the driver of the car on the next lane as he remembered the pretentious stupid pompous idiot asshole of a brother he had, especially after asking him why he had withheld the information of his family.

 

Sesshomaru's reaction was limited to a sardonic raise of his thin eyebrow,  a dignified scoff and the ironic questions: What family? You mean your whore and spawn?”

 

Inuyasha’s body reacted on its own. One moment he was listening to the spurt of insults, and the next thing he knew he had his brother pinned to the wall, snarling in his stupid face.

 

Even as the half-demon threatened him with bodily harm, told him what a scum he was, and announced he would just walk away from the company, Sesshoumaru only looked at his brother like he was a little chihuahua barking, waiting for him to vent and get tired before shoving his younger brother away.

 

And with that, Inuyasha was the one being pinned to the wall as his brother hovered over him with an icy anger in his eyes. His monotonous voice delivering his message in a slow pace. “What makes you think you have the right to come here and behave like the half-breed you are?” The elder brother tightened the hold and raised his hand, making it difficult for inuyasha to breathe normally “I don't owe you anything, I did what I was required to do... ‘help him to get a good education and a position in the company’ was what father made me promise.” A small smile that was only a display of teeth and fangs appeared on his face, showing cruel pleasure. “I did whatever was needed to secure those goals...” 

 

Suddenly his brother’s hand stopped holding him and Inuyasha slid to the floor, as he centered his attention on getting some oxygen back into his lungs. Sesshoumaru walked back to his desk and sat as if nothing had disturbed him.

 

“I already did everything that was required of me. Whatever you do with your life is no longer my problem... Just remember this company is mine and you are only my employee.”

 

Inuyasha stood up and growled again, but made no effort to close the distance with his brother.

 

“This is the only time I will allow you to show this kind of behavior without consequences... but you are free to walk away... “  Without looking back at Inuyasha, he did that hand gesture that meant he was dismissing everyone from his presence. It was a little sideways wave he made.

 

If it wasn’t so clear about who had the upper hand in hand to hand combat, Inuyasha would go back there and do something.

 

But he had too many things to do this week to be busy getting his health back before Friday, and hiding his injuries from his family during their nightly video calls.

 

Swallowing his pride seemed to be the best option at the moment. He needed to be smart to deal with his brother, and right now wasn’t the best time to do so.

 

His phone went off again, bringing Inuyasha back to the present. He scoffed when the name appeared on the screen. Even so, he answered, knowing it would not help to improve his mood, but he did it anyway,

 

“My friend! Are you already away from us?”

 

“If you are calling me instead of visiting me, you know the answer, moron.”

 

“Aren't you supposed to be all happy and bubbly instead of your asshole self?” His friend said.

 

“Leave me alone, pervert”. Inuyasha spat as he debated internally about ending the call right there, but he knew it was a better distraction than to come back to his memories of the week.

 

“Ass... I was just worrying about you.” Miroku clicked his tongue a couple of times “Here I am, lying to my boss —your brother—saying I can't reach you to let you know he wants to see you tomorrow morning.” his friend’s voice sounded a bit too theatrical for Inuyasha, and he huffed. Making his friend lose that special note for a moment. “Putting my neck on the line for you... and this is how you repay me?”

 

“Fuck off, Miroku” Inuyasha said without any real bite, and his friend laughed at their pretend fight.

 

A feminine voice sounded on the back of the other side of the line, “How is he? Is he nervous? Stop messing with him, Miroku!” It was Sango, Miroku’s pregnant wife.

 

Something muffled the sound, making it distorted but still understandable for the hanyou.

 

“He sounds just fine, Love. I'm just distracting him. Nothing harmful.”

 

A soft “huff” sounded, indicating the wife did not believe that. “You always say that just before he bruises you...”

 

“You have to admit, bruising me through the phone would be a really difficult task”

 

Inuyasha smiled, thinking that maybe suffering the stupid comments and situations his friend was often immersed in, was not always a bad idea.

 

“Yo! My furry eared friend... are you close to arriving at Kagome’s?”

 

Inuyasha made an exasperated sound in the back of his throat. “Nah... almost an hour to go yet”

 

Miroku whistled long and high pitched “Too bad my friend.”

 

Before Inuyasha decided between answering in a civilized way or being an ass to have a little more fun, the phone notified him there was somebody calling. His eyes darted to the screen dreading to see it flash  ‘Lord. Assmaru’. Instead his heart skipped a beat as ‘Kagome’ was shown.

 

His head started to race, was he late? Golden eyes met the dashboard’s clock. No, he wasn't. Mentally slapping himself for losing time and clearing his throat, he reached for the phone and answered.

 

“Um... Hello? Inuyasha?” Her voice sounded hesitant through the car speakers.

 

“Yeah, I'm here”. Inuyasha tried to not sound too eager as he talked.

 

“Hi!” a timid chuckle sounded on the other side of the line. “I was wondering if you were already on your way here, or...”

 

“I am almost there...” He interrupted her, clearing his throat after the small silence that formed after his words made him uncomfortable. Was he being too impulsive? Had he scared her?

 

“Oh, good. I was wondering if you could go with me to pick up Asahi from school...” Kagome's voice became really small at the end giving the impression that she had more to say.

 

“I'll be there in forty minutes, don't worry.” Inuyasha said with a more controlled tone and pace. Clearing his his throat again and thinking Kagome might have the impression he was sick, he added “Is something wrong?”

 

Kagome let out a bitter laugh “A couple of things actually, but it can wait. Um, I-I’ll see you soon, thank you. Be careful!” She finished with an over excited and forced cheery tone and ended the call.

 

His brow furrowed, she had finished the call without letting him say good-bye.

 

After the conversation it only took him twenty minutes to get to Kagome’s home. He had lost the internal fight between safety and time. The call had worried him too much to take the leisurely hour that was expected.  But he needed to know what she wanted to tell him.

 

Her tone had been weird, it had some kind of undertone he could not understand. A growl came out as he parked the car. That was one of the reasons he hated phone calls. When the conversation was face to face, he could see the faces and at least try to read them, also the smell told him some other things that helped, but the voice calls, he only had that, the voice, and as he tried to understand what was happening, he didn’t get much more.

 

Shaking his head at his own stupidity he walked to the door, not really prepared for something. After knocking, a few steps sounded from the other side and the door opened slowly.

 

The first clue that something wasn’t really okay with Kagome, was her greeting him with a forced smile and a soft “Hi, Inuyasha. Come in.” that was almost mumbled.

 

The second clue was the darkness inside the house. The last time he was there, every single one of windows were open, and the house had a sense of happiness. But this time they were closed and the only light came from the ambience light, soft for humans eyes.

 

The third and final clue, the one that solved the case was Kagome rubbing her temple as she closed her eyes. It finally dawned on him. Migraine. From time to time, when she was especially stressed she got one of those vicious, “head-splitting” pains. Back in high school the pain had sometimes made her stay home. She sometimes stayed barricaded in her room, and just like now, in the darkest environment possible.

 

“They still hit you hard, huh?” he said, attempting conversation.

 

Kagome blinked, once, twice and then her head tilted to the side with the cutest confused face he had seen. “Wha...?”

 

Inuyasha tried to hide his smile and pointed at his head “The migraines”.

 

She nodded and instantly regretted the movement as it made a new wave of pain to wash over her.

 

“Yeah, it’s been bothering me all day.”

 

“Oh.”

 

They stayed in silence for a moment, not knowing what to say next. Kagome didn’t want to deal with the issue right away, but didn’t have time to lose, it was almost time to go and pick up Asahi at school.

 

“Um, did-did you take your pills?” he asked, remembering she used to take something to make the pain bearable.

 

Kagome signaled her couch with an open hand, and Inuyasha sat down in the same place he did last sunday. Instead of sitting beside him Kagome started to walk to the kitchen slowly “Do you want something to drink?”

 

“Ah-A glass of water is fine...”

 

“Ok. And, yes I just did.”

 

Inuyasha watched her back as she walked to the kitchen. It took him a moment to figure out what she was referring to. She came back with two glasses and gave him one, placing the other on the table in front of them as she took a seat beside him on the couch.

 

“You got off early from work...” he tried again, as she didn’t seem to be in a talkative mood.

 

“Yeah, I asked to go home early, the children’s noise was too much.”

 

“Oh...”

 

Another awkward silence installed between them, Inuyasha’s ears flickered constantly as he tried to keep the rest of his body from fidgeting after placing his empty glass on the table.

 

In a slow motion Kagome turned most of her body toward him, waiting for his golden eyes to set on her. “I wanted to talk to you about something...” she started.

 

“Is there something wrong?” Inuyasha asked tentatively.

 

Kagome massaged her temple again before answering. “Well, not bad-bad, but bad as in, things need to change...”

 

Inuyasha straightened his back as he watched her become more and more nervous. “What kind of changes?”

 

A long sigh came from Kagome as she pressed her left eye with the palm of her hand. “Asahi has been having problems at school, aggressive behavior.” she gave him an apologetic look—or what looked like one—as she still had one eye covered with her hand. “And-and I think we have to talk about your involvement in his life...”

 

Kagome kept her eye on him as his face changed from curious, to shocked, to blank. If her head hadn’t been pulsing as it was at the moment, she would have understood what it meant. Inuyasha was a man with big emotions, emotions that were mostly easy to read as his body language showed them clearly, but when he looked void of that emotion and energy, that was when he was feeling the most intense. When the emotion was threatening. When he felt vulnerable.

 

Inuyasha had been listening. For a moment he thought she wanted to talk about minor arrangements like scheduling activities, and things like that. But as she kept talking his fears became reality. By the time she was finished his heartbeat was in his ears and the only thing he could hear was his own inner voice telling him, in a panicked tone, that she wanted to get rid of him.

 

Kagome waited for his reaction, but there was none. The living room was silent, just the sound of his huffing breathing told her he was still beside her.   


Slowly her brown eyes swiveled back to his face.

  
Her breath hitched in her throat when his glaring eyes made contact with hers. His face was contorted in a soundless snarl.

 

"You will not take my pup away from me..." were his only words, delivered with a slow, throaty, deep, rumbling tone, letting her know how much he struggled to utter every single sound.

 

Kagome gasped at his words, unconsciously moving slightly away from him.  


"I will not let you do this to me, Kagome!"

 

His body jumped from the sofa and started to stomp his way back and forth as he shook his head.  


Kagome's lips parted as she thought of something to say. She never thought of keeping him away from his son. The week had not been the usual for Asahi or her, but it was clear to her how much those two needed each other.

  
She had expected a reaction from him, maybe some grunting and a few "What the hell are you talking about, wench?" but not this kind of outburst. 

 

She made a face as she try to remember what words she had used. Her head throbbed, and a chill ran down her back. Cursing internally she admitted, her words had been unintentionally harsh and he kind of had a reason believe that.

 

Being honest with herself, Kagome had to admit she had thought about that a few times over the weekend, but only in a self-pitying and pathetic, but never serious way. It was an abominable thing to do. Something only a heartless person could do: to ignore how much those two already love each other.

 

It didn't matter what kind of issues or problems they faced now, they needed to solve them together. And apparently, along with dealing with a emotionally insecure elementary schooler, they had to convince Inuyasha he was a permanent part of their... team.

 

She felt reluctant to use the word family yet, even in her mind.

 

Kagome was brought back from her musings when Inuyasha stood in front of her. She looked up, studying the man glaring in her general direction.

 

His hands were opening and closing in jerking motions. His whole body was tense, and as he kept glaring at her with anger mixed with other emotions she was not able to decipher, his lips opened and closed without making a sound. After trying a few times, an exasperated growl came out of him. His words came to her through clenched teeth.

 

“I don’t care whachu thinking, I’m not leaving him!” Another grow came as he took air into his lungs “I am his father!”

 

Kagome saw his shoulders going down in defeat and his tone lost most of his bite “He is my son, Kagome...” the volume also became lower as his eyes stopped glaring “...my son.”

 

Her heart ache as she saw the strong man in front of her, being hurt again, and again, because of her. Kagome stood up as Inuyasha kept his cautious golden eyes on her.

 

“Inuyasha, I didn’t mean it like that” Kagome explained with a soft voice as she walked closer to the hanyou, knowing that the fastest way for her words to make it through his emotions was to make some kind of physical contact.

 

Her eyes scanned the tall man, from the pair of fuzzy ears drapped on his skull, to his closed and distrustful expression, his chest moving fast, down to his fisted hands. From experience she knew that touching his face was the most effective, but that still felt far too intimate for her. Kagome didn’t want to bring another difficult element into the mix. With her mind set, Kagome closed the distance with two fast steps and her hands darted to his right clawed hand, covering it with both of hers and pulling it close to her chest.

 

“I didn’t mean it like that!” She tried again, this time both his eyes and ears were on her, the sincerity in her eyes was calling to him. .

 

“I would never take him away from you!”  A slight softening of his expression told her he was finally listening. “I would never do that to you, to us”.

 

Silence was her only answer.

 

“Do you believe that at least?” Kagome tightened the hold on his hand,

 

Inuyasha gave her a dubitative nod and she sighed in relief before walking back a step. She noticed that even if she had eased the hold on his hand he had not. Before she could say something about it Inuyasha spoke, using a tone that was almost a whisper.

 

“What did you mean, then?”

 

He waited for her answer. “I meant that we need to set ground rules about Asahi... Being on the same page if something happens.” She chuckled uncomfortably “You need to be part of the not-so-fun part of being a parent”

 

His shoulders finally relaxed, his ears went to the sides again. She wasn’t throwing him away, she was trying to work with him, to make him act like a real parent.

 

His shoulders finally relaxed, his ears went to the sides again. She wasn’t throwing him away, she was trying to work with him, to make him act like a real parent. Inuyasha looked at her and noticed he was still holding her hand, and with a sudden blushed face he let go at the same time he found an interesting spot on the wall.

 

Kagome took the used glasses from the table and walked to the kitchen, Inuyasha followed.

 

“You could have just said that! Ya know?” He said in a gruff tone, scaring her as she didn't know he was standing directly behind her.

 

“You scared me!” She turned her head as she washed the glasses. “I know I could’ve, but I didn’t, and I wish I had, ok?” She pointed with her head to the kitchen bar “Sit, there while I clean this”

 

By "this" she meant what looked to be the dishes from breakfast. He followed her instructions, and to kill time as he waited, he took the bag of chips that were there and opened it, throwing a couple of them in his mouth.

 

Kagome looked at him and chuckled. His emotions were never a problem when it came to food. “Those are Asahi’s so you will have to tell him you ate his after-lunch treat.”

 

“He won’t mind.” He assured her as he popped another bunch of them into his mouth.

 

“Yeah, just like you wouldn’t if he ate the last ramen cup”

 

Inuyasha stopped for a moment, pondering about the repercussions and the possibility of an angered Asahi. He looked at the bag, knowing he had ate most of them and shrugged. “I’ll buy him ice cream”.

 

Kagome smiled and didn’t say another thing. It was fair for him to know his son firsthand.

 

“Then, whachu want me to know?” He asked as he tilted the bag and sticked out his tongue, trying to catch the little pieces left.

 

Kagome finished soon after and sat in front of him. “Well, for starters that you need to know how to say ‘No’ to him.”

 

Inuyasha raised an eyebrow sardonically and huffed a laugh “I know how to say ‘no’, Kagome.”

 

“I know, but after he nags, and begs...” she took a deep breath “..and pleads and whines—both figuratively and literally—and jumps and falls to the ground and tells you he is never going to stand up again. That you will be the parent of a kid that never gets up, and then tries to blackmail you with things like ‘I will never eat again!’ or ‘I won’t love you anymore... After all that, and possibly more things that will appear, you need to keep saying ‘no’, and even more when I've already said it.”

 

Inuyasha  laughed incredulously as he tried to picture his lovely son doing that, and thought Kagome was clearly exaggerating. His son was not like that, definitely not like that.

 

She gave him a half smile “You’ve only met his good side...”

 

“He can’t be that bad!” He felt the need to defend him, his own mother was saying bad things about him.

 

Kagome raised a conciliating hand “He is not a bad boy, but he likes to do what he wants... like his parents”.

 

Inuyasha couldn’t help the smug smile that appeared on his lips “Well, you’re right on that”.

 

Kagome let him have his moment of pride before speaking with a serious voice “He is also very smart...” Inuyasha nodded again and crossed his arm as he reclined back on his chair, or as much as he could in a hard kitchen stool. “And he will try to twist your words, or pretend he understood something differently than what you said.”

 

“Nah, you just want to scare me now...”

 

Now it was Kagome who huffed.

 

“Ok, like what?”

 

“Umm...”

 

“You were making things up, right?” He asked mockingly.

 

“No! I’m trying to remember something specific.”

 

“Ok, I’ll wait while you think of another lie.”

 

“Inuyasha...”

 

He raised both hands in surrender and stayed quiet.

 

“Oh! There was a time when he asked for permission to watch t.v. in my room because there was some kind of marathon. I told him specifically ‘You can, but I want you to go to bed early, we have things to do tomorrow’, I fell asleep before 10pm, and woke up again at 3am and found him beside me still watching the show. He had turned the volume the lowest possible without making it mute to let me sleep and when I asked him why he was awake, he said 3am was still pretty early morning.”

 

Inuyasha’s smile slowly became a grin as she told the story, becoming more and more outraged at his answer, and when she finished he laughed, hard.

 

Kagome waited for him to calm down, and after the third time he said breathily “I’m done”, and this time he did not erupt in new laughter.

 

She finally spoke again. “That brings us to a new topic: when you are disciplining him, or teaching him a lesson, you cannot laugh.” She pointed a finger at him accusingly. “Even if what he says is funny, or cute, or downright hilarious. You are his father and he needs to understand you are serious about it.”

 

He pushed her finger to the side. “I won’t laugh.”

 

“Even when he says something mean that makes too much sense and is funny. YOU CAN’T LAUGH, INUYASHA!”

 

He glared at her and mocked her tone “I. Won’t. Laugh. Ka-go-me.”

 

She stared at him for a while before nodding. “Ok. We’ll see”.

 

“Khe!”

 

“Also, when you are not sure about something, tell him we need to talk about it first, or that he needs to ask me first.”

 

“So, I can’t decide on my own?” His tone had lost the fun element.

 

“You can, but remember he lives with me... and he will understand that everything you say “yes” to, also means I agree with it too.”

 

“Like what?” He was not entirely convinced by her explanation.

 

“For example, if you tell him he can have dessert before the meal. I’m sure he will say something like 'Daddy said I could have these chips before lunch.' So, please be careful with that.”

 

Inuyasha nodded. “Anything else?”

 

Kagome looked at the clock before smiling “No for now, time to pick up Asahi”.

 

They both stood up. “How is your migraine?”

 

Kagome took her purse and walked to the door putting her sunglasses on “A little better...”

 

They arrived at the school in no time. Kagome told him where to park, because he wanted to see the school. The kids were already waiting for their parents outside, but as he tried to remain calm as he watched the sea of kids around them. Some of them said ‘hi’ to Kagome as they walked by, a few even ran to her and hugged her. She hugged them back with the same excitement they showed before letting them go, she even twirled around with a small girl that had blue fins on her ears.

 

He didn’t say anything, but Kagome could feel his eyes on her back. “They were my kids in the day care.”

 

“Didn’t ask...”

 

“I know, Just offering information.”

 

Inuyasha caught up to her before asking “Now, where is Asahi’s classroom?” with badly disguised curiosity.

 

Kagome pointed to a fairly close building as she looked around. “Over there... but he usually waits around here. Maybe he is still in his classroom”.

 

They both walked to the building, looking around without finding him. Kagome felt more nervous with every step. Asahi always tried to come to her as soon as he could, as soon as he heard or smelled her, he darted to her side.

 

They reached the doors of the building and Kagome saw a known figured on the other side, with a phone to his ear.

 

As soon as she opened the door, he turned to her with a frown. “I’ve been calling you!”

 

She smiled at the irate man “Maybe a 'Hello' before, yelling at me?”

 

“Yeah, yeah. Come here!” She walked to him and hugged him, forgetting for a moment, who was with her.

 

“Nice to see you, Wolf.”

 

“You too, Kitten”.

 

A growl too low for the human to hear came from the ignored man behind her. Blue eyes stared at him for a moment, but guessing who it was and how being ignored was making him angry, he kept his attention on Kagome.

 

“Why were you calling me?” She asked more preoccupied than curious.

 

“Your kid and my cubs are in trouble... nothing new.”

 

Kagome frowned, Asahi had been having problems at school. Inuyasha walked closer to her, to a degree that she could feel the heat radiating from his body. She cursed internally, she had forgotten something important.

 

“Oh, sorry. Didn’t introduce you two...” her voice apologetic.

 

Her eyes went to Inuyasha, whose demeanor had changed. His body was tense, his ears standing and his brows knit together. She looked at Kouga, who was mirroring the other man's posture.

 

“This is Inuyasha, Asahi’s father. Inuyasha, this is Kouga...”

 

Kouga smiled smugly before interrupting her “Kagome’s ex-husband”.

 

As a renewed growl exploded inside Inuyasha’s chest. Kagome could feel her migraine coming back at full strength.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading this chapter!
> 
> This story was supposed to be a oneshot, but as the days came by and I couldn't stop thinking about it, I ended up with a few drabbles and the idea for a new chapter. 
> 
> So here it is!   
> I know some of you are disappointed because Asahi doesn’t appear in this chapter, but the parents need some time to work things out without the child (with really good ears) is around, hopefully the next chapter is ready soon and you can see more of him.
> 
> Thank you for reading and for the support, it’s always a pleasure to know what you think with the messages or the likes and favorites. Thank you very much.
> 
> Also a big thank you to the readers that made the questions that prompted me to keep writing this AU. 
> 
> Finally, thank you Britt for editing this, you deserve Hojo’s love!! All of it!


	3. The Headache

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When Kagome and Inuyasha go to pick up their son, he meets Kagome's exhusband and they have to react to the unexpected introduction in the best way for the sake of their son.

**Disclaimer** : I do not own Inuyasha or any of the characters. And I do not intent to gain any kind of retribution for this work of fanfiction.

O0o0o0o0o0o0o

Chapter 3.  **Headache**

They were in front of the classroom. Kagome had walked to the wolf youkai to greet him and the bastard had done it in a way that angered the hanyou.

Inuyasha's mind was spinning, and not in a 'liquor-induced' kind of way. More in 'a voice hammering his skull' repeating the wolf's words. The wolf had called her 'Kitten'. It had hugged her.  **Hugged! her!**

Something he had been wanting to do since he came back! And then the fucker had gloated about being her ex-husband.

He hated the flea-bag! Hated him in a way that defied his feeling range. A hate that twisted his gut and made him want to drive his claws into something!

After giving him a quick glance, Kagome started stroking Inuyasha's arms in a calming manner. His attention moved briefly to the woman at his side, whose eyes went back and forth between them. Inuyasha tried to take a long breath, that escaped him in the form of a low reverberating growl when the mocking wolf's eyes made contact with his.

"What did they do, now?" She asked without taking her hand off Inuyasha, slowly stroking his arm, moving it closer to his hand, until she took it and laced their fingers.

Inuyasha fought the need to look down and check if what he was feeling was real. The quick quirked brow and glance the other man gave to their hands convinced him it was real, and it was instantly calming.

Kouga barked a laugh. "Looks like they said mean things to each other until one of them-I think yours- got physical and they fought," he explained in a casual manner.

Another growl came from Inuyasha. The wolf was blaming his pup! Accusing golden eyes focused on Kagome as he registered she was NOT defending their pup. The stare was ignored as she kept talking with the stupid wolf in front of him. Which angered him even more.

Kagome sighed looking tired. "They hadn't had a fight in a while... it was good while it lasted."

"Too good to be true," The twins' father conceded.

"So, the teacher is waiting for us?" She asked with a tired voice as she closed her eyes and pinched the bridge of her nose with a frown.

"Yep... migraine?" Kouga tilted his head with a concerned look in his eyes.

Which only managed to upset Inuyasha more. The closeness and camaraderie between them was difficult to witness as it only managed to bring to light everything Kagome and himself did not share.

"Yep." Kagome pointed to the classroom. "Go ahead, we'll go in a bit."

"Sure?" Kouga asked with a velvety voice and a half smile, giving a quick glance towards Inuyasha's direction. Making clear the reason of his question.

Another growl formed in Inuyasha's chest. This time her eyes did come to him, in the form of an irritated side glance before she turned to the wolf again.

"Just go, Kouga," she ordered with her  _mom voice._

The wolf youkai nodded. The half smile still in place as he walked inside of the classroom.

"Inuyasha-" she called him with a calm voice.

"Good thing you remember I'm still here," he interrupted her with a pissy voice.

"Knock it off and behave like a father, please."

Her words were delivered calmly, with an even and dry voice and they hit him harder than if she had struck him. It was something close to a wake up call. It was not the time to be-not jealous- just envious of the things that they shared and his relationship with Kagome lacked. He was there as Asahi's father, and so he was to behave.

Inuyasha nodded with his brows furrowed. His serious eyes staring directly at her and his ears pointing slightly down. "I'll behave."

"Good." Kagome squeezed his hand and started to explain with a calmer voice. "Kouga's boys and Asahi are good friends..."

Inuyasha opened his mouth and it seemed that Kagome knew him too well, because instead of letting him fuck things up with an insult, her finger shot to his lips and her eyes showed with impressive clearness how much she didn't want to deal with his bad mood right now.

He closed his mouth and nodded for her to talk again. "And as friends usually do, from time to time, they fight. And their fights are usually strong... and sometimes violent."

Kagome sighed as Inuyasha mumbled something that sounded suspiciously like "My kid can take on any mangy wolf," as his eyes danced away from her face. She let it pass, not wanting to lose time fighting over that kind of remark. If he needed to make the distinction, she would let him.

Kagome rolled her eyes at him and continued. "Remember what I said about disciplining him?"

He grumbled a 'yes.'

She looked at him solemnly. "Ok, this is your first test. You need to show him that fighting is wrong, and how fighting with friends is even worse... and doing it at school..." She left the sentence open, knowing the meaning was clear.

Inuyasha's back straightened and crossed his arms on his chest, with his brows still furrowed.

Kagome felt his hand leave hers and the sense of loss was a surprise. Keeping their physical connection hadn't been something she had given too much thought until that moment and now she felt slightly confused as it became clear to her that she wanted to touch him again.

Her attention went back to her belligerent hanyou when he spoke, "It's not wrong to fight back when others are messing with him...".

Kagome's first instinct was to tell him wrong, yet his voice was not aggressive. He had spoken with a serious voice. From his stance and the serious look of his eyes, she got the impression Inuyasha was not saying that to start a fight, but he was talking from experience.

Her head tilted as she studied his tense form. "Well, I guess sometimes that might be right." Her hand rested softly on his arm as she spoke carefully. "But we are talking about our son. We need to teach him that using his strength to fight is the last resource. If he fights a human, he could do something we will all regret."

Kagome tried to convey the importance of the matter not only with her words. "If we want him to be like other children, to be included and to play freely with others, he needs to know that fighting is not an option..."

Inuyasha stared at her with an intensity that made her breath hitch. Something important was hidden behind those golden eyes. She opened her lips to say something at the same time he gave a court nod.

"True," his grave voice ghosted around her for a moment before she managed to break the strange trance.

Kagome cleared her throat softly. "This time, let me handle it..." She shrugged with an amused smile in place "It's not the first time Kouga and I have been called to the teacher's or principal's office for a fight." Inuyasha's nose scrunched but he remained silent, slightly conflicted between saying something about the natural way she talked about the wolf, and truth behind that statement.

Her hand took his again and pulled him to the classroom.

As they walked to the door, Inuyasha was increasingly uncomfortable and insecure about his role in this situation. Was he supposed to be listening and let everything happen normally as if he was not there? Or had he the right to speak up if there was the need? The only thing he knew was that there was no way in hell he was letting the wolf blame his pup for what happened. Even if that meant an argument with Kagome at home.

Kagome opened the door and inside the classroom were five people: the stupid wolf; beside him two wolf cubs who didn't look like their father, nor resembled each other even if Kagome said they were twins; an old hag that must be the teacher; and his son. Inuyasha felt his temper rise when the other man smirked as their eyes met. Inuyasha needed to punch that stupid face.

As soon as the old woman saw them, or better said, saw Kagome, she stood up to greet the younger woman. At the same time, Asahi looked up and when his golden eyes found his father's, his ears dropped and he whined. Inuyasha made an effort to keep his face neutral, trying not to smile at the pathetic sounding whine.

Kagome had instructed him to be serious about this, even if his son was too adorable to keep the scowl.

"Kagome. Nice to see you. Too bad it has to be in these sad circumstances," said the old woman with a voice way too smooth for her age.

Kagome nodded and let go of his hand to point at him politely. "I'd like to introduce you to Inuyasha, Asahi's father."

The old hag's smile widened slightly with a well hidden surprise as she studied him for a moment before making a small bow. "Nice to meet you, Inuyasha. I'm happy you can join us. Asahi has been talking about you all week. I'm Kaede, Asahi's teacher." She gave him a warm smile that told him she knew more about their situation than that.

"Yeah, the same," he answered with a slow bow.

The woman turned to the rest of the occupants with the calm smile still firmly in its place and pulled another chair to the small circle that they had formed. She indicated Asahi to sit between his parents, and Kouga to sit between his children. She sat between Kagome and one of the wolf boys.

Inuyasha felt a twisted smile slowly appear on his face as the wolf was not seated beside Kagome. He was fast at erasing that smile as soon as Kagome saw him and glared at him.

At the same time, Asahi was on his chair, oblivious to their parents little wordless argument. His little back curved and he avoided looking at either of his parents' faces.

"Now that we are all here," the teacher started with the same smile on her lips and warm brown eyes dancing between the rest of them, "I'd like to thank you parents, for coming so quickly. I'd like to start by telling you what we've been talking about before you arrived. Is that ok with you, children?"

The three children nodded slowly.

" _Very good..._ Lookslike they said things that were mean. Things that hurt their friends and unfortunately they fought physically. I'd like for you children to explain to your parents what was said to make you feel the need to fight with a beloved friend. Hakkaku?"

Inuyasha thought the way the teacher phrased the question was weird. It was easy for him to identify Hakkaku, as one of the twins opened his eyes wide, eyes that had been focused on the floor until that moment. The kid looked around, then rested his eyes on his father, and he gave a whine very similar to the one Asahi made before.

"Oh, um. Can Ginta answer that?" he asked timidly pointing at his brother.

Before the old lady said something, it was Kouga's voice that echoed around them. "She asked you Hakkaku. Answer."

The half demon's eyebrow arched in appreciation. The wolf's voice was definitely different than how he had sounded in the hallway. This had no sign of amusement, and left not room for negotiation.

"Yes, dad! Oh... Umm... well," the kid squirmed a bit before staring at Asahi and pointing at him, "He has been saying the same things over and over again!" the boy huffed annoyed. "He just didn't shut up about his dad!"

Slowly Asahi started to straighten on his chair as he glared at Hakkaku, his cheeks flushed but his eyes serious.

"He kept saying the same thing about his dad?" asked Kaede softly.

"Yes!" The twin spat with the conviction that the situation was completely explained by a single word as only children have.

"And you were angry because Asahi was happy about his dad?" she tried again.

"Yes! Wait, no! It's not because of that!" The kid shook his head vigorously when his explanation was twisted.

"Then, what was the problem? I don't understand."

Kaede's voice sounded artificially tender in Inuyasha's ears but it made the kid stop and think before answering. Immediately the other twin, Ginta, raised his hand to talk and the teacher gave him the word.

"He kept talking about his dad, and how his dad was the best, and there was no other dad like his. We knew he didn't have a dad, so we told him so, and ehh umm..." The boy averted his eyes and continued with a small voice. "We told him he was a liar..."

"And you still think he was lying?" said the teacher.

Both twins answered in unison with a quiet, "No."

"You got mad that he said his dad was the best?" pressed the teacher.

"Yes..." in unison came the answer again, this time loud.

"Ok... let me ask a question to the three of you... who is the best dad ever?"

Again, in unison, this time Asahi joined with " _ **Mine!**_ "

"See how the best dad for every kid is their own?"

The children mumbled something that sounded like, "But mine's better," as they looked down again.

The corners of Inuyasha's mouth twitched upward with the grumpy mumble of his son's complaint. It was kind of cute that his boy had gotten into a fight because of his father's awesomeness.

Inuyasha cleared his throat and schooled his features when Kagome's not-so-amused eyes focused on him again.

"Every dad is the best dad for their children. That is why your dad is the best dad to you," the teacher pointed out with that fabricated calmness that carried steel underneath, making eye contact with every child in the room. As their eyes met, they squirmed in a really funny way.

The teacher gave a few moments for them to calm again before adding, "Was that why you hit Asahi, Hakkaku?"

Inuyasha's eyes darted to the adult wolf youkai with a smug expression. It hadn't been Asahi who gave the first punch! Inuyasha wanted to rub it in his face. Blue eyes moved towards him as if feeling Inuyasha's stare and the hanyou held his mocking face slightly shaking his head. Kouga huffed softly and ignored the other man.

Hakkaku shook his head and muttered a "no."

"Asahi, what do you think made Hakkaku feel so bad that he wanted to hurt you?" Kaede turned to Asahi for the first time.

The golden eyed boy looked at both his parents and then Kouga before staring at his small hands. "Because I said something to hurt him first." His black ears lowered as he explained it.

"What happened?" tried the teacher again.

"Ginta said that I didn't have a dad, and told me his dad was the best... then I said a really- really- bad thing..." He stretched the word.

"What did you say, Asahi?"

"I don't want to say it, it's too bad," he whimpered.

Kaede looked at Kagome and pointed discreetly at Asahi. Kagome nodded and turned to her son.

"Are you afraid of hurting someone by saying that again?" asked Kagome. Asahi nodded at her. Inuyasha could smell the tears that were forming.

"Who do you think is going to get hurt if you say it?" she asked again.

Asahi pointed fast at Inuyasha and Kouga before lowering his hand to his lap.

"I'm sure they will understand, they know you said it when you were angry and you don't really mean it... right?"

In unison the fathers answered, Kouga with a "right" and Inuyasha with an "of course."

Asahi turned to his father with pleading eyes and Inuyasha stroked his head, not doubting his instinct and supporting his son. "It will be ok, pup. Just say it."

As Inuyasha looked up, he found Kagome staring at him with surprise. He smiled smugly. He was doing it right. Kagome could practically hear his voice in her head saying 'See, wench? I can do this kind of shit too'. She glared at Inuyasha, trying to tell him to "behave!" again.

They both looked down in time to see Asahi square his shoulder and turn to the teacher before saying "I told them that they were the ones without a dad because I had my real dad now and their dad was mine first, before being theirs." He gave them a quick look through his lashes before finishing "...that is why Hakkaku hit me."

Inuyasha's eyes went wide. That was a really good low blow, incredibly good for a seven year boy was really skilled with his tongue. With the corner of his eye, he studied the calm face of Kagome. That definitely didn't come from him. That ability was all Kagome's. He fought the impulse to nod appreciatively.

"And how do you think it made them feel?" The teacher inquired with a softer voice. This time it didn't sound fake on his silver ears.

Asahi's eyes started to water before he spoke, "Sad, and angry!"

"Was that how you felt when they said your dad wasn't real?"

The boy used the back of his hand to wipe his snot and nodded energetically.

"You want to say something to them?"

He didn't bother answering the teacher. He turned to the twins and between sobs he shouted "I'm sorry! Uncle Kouga is your dad and he is a great dad! I didn't want to hit you Hakkaku, and I'm sorry I bit you Ginta!"

Kagome and Inuyasha's hands touched as they both moved to stroke Asahi's back, smiling softly to each other before paying attention to the rest of the boys.

"Is there something you want to say, Hakkaku?" The teacher asked to one of the now sobbing twins.

The teary eyed and snot-nosed child nodded.

"I'm sorry I hit you too, and your dad is real!"

Ginta nodded nonstop as his brother spoke.

"If you want, you can hug your friends," Kaede finished with a smile in her voice.

Using their special speed, the three of them launched at each other, and the sound of heads colliding and three different cries of "ouch" sounded around the room. The mumbled apologies told the adults everything was fine.

Kaede smiled at the three adults.

"Thank you for coming, and you can go when they are ready to go."

They nodded and said goodbye to the teacher, walking back to the hall.

Soon after the children were laughing between trembling breaths, Inuyasha felt a small hand pull his. Asahi was staring at him; after the kid was sure he had his father's attention, he turned to his friends and announced proudly.

"This is my dad!"

The wolf cubs looked up and pointed at his head. "He has ears like yours!" said in awe.

Inuyasha flicked them one at a time, making the kids giggle.

"Time to go, cubs. Mom's waiting," Kouga announced with a serious voice. The twins waved goodbye before standing in front of their father without saying anything but staring at him with bright eyes.

Kouga let out a long overdramatic sigh before kneeling down, "Come here, you dumb-dumbs."

The kids rapidly latched onto his neck and nestled on each side of his chest.

"Bye, Kitten. Mutt." The last word almost huffed.

Kagome waved them goodbye before turning to her boys. Inuyasha was glaring at her, again.

She walked past him without a glance and walked towards Asahi. She was sure Inuyasha had asked "Kitten, huh?" in a bitter way as she passed.

It was not the time nor place to pay attention to his waste of jealousy. And it was also not the time to think about why, exactly, she thought of it as a waste, nor why it gave her a tiny satisfaction.

Kneeling down she looked at her son, who was currently holding his father's hand without saying a word, sniffling from time to time.

"Ready to go, baby?" she asked with a soft tone.

Instead of answering, Asahi's eyes went wide and the his brows lowered with a preoccupied expression.

"What's wrong?" she asked again.

Asahi tilted his head. "You're not gonna tell me I did wrong and that I'm grounded?"

Kagome gave him a half smile and caressed his cheek. "I think you know it was wrong..."

The boy nodded energetically.

"And that you will be more careful with your words next time."

He nodded again.

"And," she looked up to Inuyasha's face, "I need to talk with your dad before deciding if you are grounded or not."

His head stopped moving mid-nod, and his ears went low. "Ohh..." he added, disappointed.

"Let's go!" Kagome chirped and started to walk to the door.

She reached the door and opened it, turning around she noticed the boys were not behind her. They were still standing in the same place, hand in hand, looking uncomfortable. Asahi kept his face down, stealing glances to his father from the corner of his eye. Inuyasha was glaring at a general direction, and atop of both of their heads their ears were flicking unceasingly.

"What's wrong?" She asked cautiously.

Neither of them answered her. Kagome was prepared to mediate between the pair when Asahi let go of his father's hand and stood up in front of Inuyasha with a preoccupied face as he looked directly into the golden eyes. His black ears went down as his eyes lost their spark of determination and softened to an unspoken plead.

Inuyasha lost no time: he reached down and held him, in a way that resembled how Kouga had hugged his kids before leaving. He managed to curl his arms around Inuyasha's neck and circle his dad's waist with his legs as he nuzzled the man's throat.

Kagome wondered if it was some kind of dog youkai thing because as soon as Asahi's nose made contact with Inuyasha's neck, the father turned and rubbed the side of the child's face with his own and he made that deep rumble in his chest she liked so much. She was almost sure a couple of licks were traded too.

With a much more relaxed Asahi in his arms Inuyasha caught up to Kagome at the door and they exited the classroom. As they reached the car Kagome also wondered since when did Inuyasha have his hand on her waist.

-.-.-.-.-.-

The ride to back was silent after Asahi asked what was wrong with mom and she explained she had a migraine. Being familiarized with that particular pain of hers, Asahi knew that silence and space was what she needed.

Her temple was pulsing and she could feel the pain as a spiderweb expanding from her temple to the rest of her head. She covered one of her eyes with the back of her hand and breathed in slowly.

Kagome could feel Inuyasha's worried eyes on her as she walked to the door. She felt his hand shoot out to her waist when she wobbled slightly on the steps.

"Ehh, umm..." she heard him say, "why don't you lay down for a while?" His voice was low and gentle.

Kagome turned to him, surprised for his thoughtfulness. He must have seen something in her eyes because his worried and focused face suddenly blushed and his eyes darted to the side at the same time his left hand came to his head to scratch behind his ear.

"Well, yeah. You need to rest, and we can survive a few hours without you." He tried a timid smile.

She was grateful for his attempts to make her feel better. It was uncharacteristic of him to think about other people, or notice things in other people. Maybe she was being unfair; he was not a teenager anymore. Inuyasha was no longer the troubled and heartbroken young man she had left behind all those years ago. Even if he hadn't changed completely, there were aspects that were vastly different from the kid she had loved. The fact that she could get to know his adult self was both exciting and nerve wracking.

"I think I will, thank you," she accepted with a sincere smile.

Beside them, their son stood looking back and forth between them with his backpack still on.

"Asahi, listen to your dad. Put your things where they should go, change your clothes and help your dad in what he asks, ok?"

Asahi's face illuminated. And Kagome could almost hear him in her head as he planned everything he wanted to do with his father. She felt a little nervous.

"Listen to your dad, Asahi!"

His eyes big and almost trembling with excitement he finally answered with a nod and watched his mom walk to her room.

Inuyasha wasn't sure about how to  _proceed_  with things. Overthinking always made things worse, right? That's why he decided to go through the motions in the way that felt more natural.

Twenty minutes later he found himself with an almost naked boy in the kitchen, leisurely sitting on the stool he had occupied with only his white briefs on.

"What are we going to cook, dad?" His golden eyes expectant and his smile showing the long but still human fangs he had.

Inuyasha scratched behind his ear again. "Well... I have no idea."

Asahi frowned with his head resting on his hands, "Me neither..."

"What about you putting some clothes on?" Inuyasha tried.

Asahi's ears went down on his head. "B-but! Mom let's me stay in my boxers!" His voice was whiny and his little hands turned into fists against the counter.

"I don't think she let's you be in the kitchen naked," Inuyasha explained trying to imitate the tone Kagome used to explain why he should do things he didn't like to do.

He may not know much about what Kagome did as a mom. But he was sure that letting their child risk a burn on naked skin was not one of them. The hanyou could almost hear Kagome's words about disciplining their son.

"Then you have to choose: get dressed and be in the kitchen with me, or stay in your boxers and wait in the living room. One or the other... "

Asahi's mouth slowly fell open. This was not what he expected. His dad wasn't supposed to say no to HIM. He was his DAD, not mom.

"But... but, I want to cook with you!"

Inuyasha reached down and put his little body on his shoulder in a swift movement making him giggle. "Then we need to get you dressed!"

Asahi playfully squirmed as Inuyasha gave a few warning growls as they walked to the pup's room.

It took them another half an hour to finish and come back to the kitchen. The fridge was open and he was staring at its contents with no idea what to make with them. Asahi looked with him and kept suggesting they ordered something.

"Mom won't get angry," was repeated for the fifth time. The fact that one of his ears flicked nervously every time he said it made Inuyasha think he was lying.

The hanyou also wondered if that was how Kagome always seemed to know when  _he_  was lying.

"What about we make a list and go grocery shopping and cook something to help your mom feel better?"

Asahi jumped beside him. "Yes! We can make her my special soup she likes! And we can buy her things she likes! And we can cook other things! And we can eat together! And... And... mom will feel better!" He finished with a brilliant smile.

They sat at the kitchen bar, and with his phone, Inuyasha started the list that was titled 'Store list'. Inuyasha was trying to remember what ingredients he needed to buy for a 'feel better' soup. He could hear his pup moving around him.

The boy first moved the things on the counter. It looked like Asahi didn't find whatever he was looking for because he stood up pouting and circled the bar looking for something on the ground. Inuyasha was about to ask what he was doing when his son moved his head up and sniffed, first the air, then his rapidly moving nose turned to the table and with narrowed eyes Asahi took one last sniff close to his father's hands.

His small shoulders slumped along with his ears drooping on his sides. "You ate them..." His voice low and sad but his eyes remained accusing.

"Yeah, sorry pup," Inuyasha said feeling his ears mirroring the boy's.

"You ate them!" This time both his eyes and voice were angry.

The father tried to smile, "I was hungry and I ate them..."

"But they were mine!" His foot stomped on the floor. "Not yours! Mom said I could only eat them after school! And you ate them!"

Inuyasha was quietly watching as the anger, that he considered unnecessary, rose in his son's body. Listening to the boy's voice as it grew louder at the same time his eyes became red. Thinking it was enough he raised a hand in a conciliatory way.

Asahi frowned and jerkily took a couple of breaths in, but didn't say anything else.

"I will buy you what I ate when we go to the grocery store, but if you wake up your mom... There won't be any snacks today." His voice was as calm as he could make it and everything was enunciated carefully.

His boy stared at him for a moment, tilting his head to the side. Suddenly he felt the need to laugh as he realized his son was trying to guess if he was capable of carrying through with what he said or not.

"You have to decide. You want snacks? Let's finish this and go to the store. You don't wanna? Keep shouting and wake up your mom."

More silence, before a curt nod from the black eared boy. "I want to eat fruit. And you can buy my snacks." The boy was still pouting but after he delivered the request with a dry voice, he walked to his seat on the table and propped his head on both of his hands, staring at his father.

Inuyasha was not used to fast changing moods and was confused as he reached for a couple of bananas and gave one to his son.

The half of his son's fruit was gone when his little finger pointed at his phone and with his mouth full of food he indicated, "Don't forget to write 'Asahi's Snacks. A-sa-hi's."

Inuyasha raised a brow at the boy's attitude, but wrote it anyway.

The list wasn't of much help as after another ten minutes they had: 'Asahi's snacks', 'Asahi's special soup', which Inuyasha didn't understand as much as Asahi tried to explain what it was, the only clear thing was that the boy knew where to find the ingredients in the store, 'main dish', 'dessert', 'drink' and 'something for Kagome' and with his surprisingly good hand writing the boy added 'snacks' and 'many' explaining his mom liked snacks a lot.

They got ready much faster than he thought possible and soon Asahi was securely sitting on the back seat and they were on the way to the store. Before going outside the boy had assured his father how easy it was to go there and how he knew the fastest way.

It became clear to Inuyasha a couple of minutes later that it was not a good idea to take directions from an eight-year-old as the first one was "You need to turn left here!" The boy pointed at the direction he said at the same time the car crossed the intersection, "Back there". His head was now turned to the back. "Why didn't you turn, dad?" The question was innocent, Inuyasha could hear it in his voice but the fact he was being blamed for not being able to turn when Asahi told him too late, made him almost grit his teeth.

He was looking for a place to make a U turn. "Because i didn't have time," was his explanation.

"Ohh! Because you drive too fast?" For the boy it was the only explanation possible, because he had said when to turn. Asahi clicked his tongue in a way that resembled his mom too much for his father's liking. "You shouldn't drive fast here, there are parks and schools close by."

Inuyasha fought the need to grit his teeth and took a long breath before assuring his son, "I'm being careful, pup."

Asahi gave him a noncommittal noise that reminded him of Kagome.

A couple of minutes later Inuyasha had never felt so relieved to see a grocery store in his life.

"We found it!" Asahi yelped from the back.

As soon as they were outside a small hand took his and pulled him to the store. "Let's go dad!"

The feeling of having the trusting hand of his son holding his own was something that trumped any kind of negative emotion he could be feeling at any point of the day.

The warm wave of love that always hit him when the reality of what was happening, the great luck he had made him take a long breath, this time to avoid a trembling voice as he said "Come on! Hands up, pup!"

Asahi smiled and happily complied, giggling when his father lifted him up.

"Let's put you in your seat."

Inuyasha didn't expect drastic change between the giggling child he had picked up and the now shouting and squirming child in his arms as he walked to the carts.

"I'm not a baby! I'm not a baby!" Asahi shouted.

He still didn't understand the situation and the quick change into outrage as he tried to be considerate father. "I know you're not a baby," he said as he put the kid down.

"I'm not sitting in the baby seat!"

"... what baby seat?"

Asahi breathed out an exasperated huff and pointed to the seat on the cart. "THAT baby seat!"

"Then where are you sitting?"

Inuyasha tried to remember the few times he had paid attention to people with kids and he could clearly pinpoint where kids sit. He was almost positive he had seen them either walking beside the cart or in the seat.

Asahi paused before pointing to the basket part of the cart, "There!"

Inuyasha arched a brow, thinking that maybe that wasn't a good idea. "I don't think your mom would like that..."

Asahi shook his head, "My mom always let me sit there!"

The father was not sure but wanted to keep moving and he didn't foresee any kind of danger for his son being there.

Asahi giggled again when Inuyasha made an exaggerated sound of exertion as he lowered the boy into the cart.

They started moving towards the first isle.

"What's first on our list?" the hanyou asked, already expecting certain answer.

"My snacks!" A serious pair of golden eyes focused on Inuyasha before continuing "...that you ate..."

"If you keep pushing it boy... you won't get any..."

His voice voice was slow and flat and Asahi's eyes went wide. The boy opened his mouth to say something, but after a couple of seconds his eyes narrowed again and pursed his lips with puffed cheeks before turning his head to the side.

With that particular crisis averted, a half confused, half proud Inuyasha pushed the cart through the closest aisle, that had a variety of refrigerated beverages. Inuyasha passed most of them as he remembered how Kagome always used to go on and on about how nasty beverages with artificial flavors were.

Asahi suddenly pointed at the refrigerator at the same time he yelped with a smile on his face. "My mom loves Banana milk!"

Inuyasha arched a brow and the boy avoided his eyes with the guiltiest expression he had ever seen in a kid. Hiding his smirk he asked, "She does? I think we should buy a few... what else does she like?"

It went longer than expected. Asahi wanted every single junk food in sight saying his mom loved that particular kind of junk food. After the third time Asahi tried to pull that trick, Inuyasha just shrugged.

"We'll buy it for her next time, when she comes with us..."

The boy pouted but nodded.

After that, choosing the food to buy wasn't that difficult. He just bought a couple of everything that looked healthy and some chicken.

They came home and Inuyasha realized that he really didn't know how to cook. His best dish was egg and cheese instant ramen.

With the help of the internet, and the constant suggestions of his son, who decided he was going to cook for his mom too, Inuyasha finally decided on a recipe.

Asahi was in charge of the vegetables, which meant the boy had to wash them and cut them to boil them. Inuyasha repeated a couple of times that he had to be careful with the knife, even if the one he had was the smallest Kagome had in her kitchen.

With the rest of the food displayed in front of him, Inuyasha tried to decide what could be cooked. A warm memory came to him, from the time before she had gone away, before his parents died.

It had been an autumn day and he hadn't been careful enough as he tried to jump over a recycling lot and he had landed in a bad way on metal tubes and it had caused a couple of them to go through him. That meant that until his mom didn't see any kind of scarred or even pinkish flesh left on his body, Inuyasha was not allowed to be outside of his room, and obviously the sixteen-year-old boy hated it.

Begging, pleading and even whining was out of the question. There was no power on this earth that could change his mother's mind when it came to his health. Just as it was nothing that could change his sour mood until he was able to go outside. Well... there was just one person.

She arrived that day after school, knocking on his door softly. Her head peeked from the door with a smile before showing a big lunch bag.

"Brought you something."

He had responded with something stupid about not wanting it but she walked inside anyway, completely ignoring his words.

"I always wanted to bring you something like a 'get well' pack, but you never get sick. So when your mom told me she had you on house arrest because you were hurt, I knew this was my opportunity," she had explained as a blush appeared on her cheeks while she placed the food on his desk.

He had been looking at her from behind as she arranged everything in a beautiful manner. Trying to keep in mind that friends took care of each other and it didn't have anything to do with him feeling a little more than friendship for her.

When he sat on his desk with the food in front of him, she started explaining what she had brought: chicken broth porridge, miso soup, onigiris, tempura vegetables, egg rolls, udon, stir fried beef, white rice and, of course, a ramen cup.

Inuyasha was in awe. This was so much more than he had ever hoped for. She took a seat beside him and watched him eat. As everything she or her mom cooked, it was delicious. The thing he remembered the most was the warm smile on Kagome's face as she waited for him to be done, speaking from time to time to tell him what had happened at school. At the end he had told her to eat something, and she had chosen an onigiri. It really had been the best "get well" present he had ever received.

The voice of his son brought him back. "Dad, I finished with the veggies. You haven't done anything yet?"

Inuyasha looked at his son's work. He was right, every single vegetable they had bought was now irregularly cut in pieces, ready to be boiled. Because Asahi knew how to boil vegetables.

"Sorry, pup. I'll start working now."

"If you don't hurry I'll have to give my food to mom, and tell her you didn't make anything for her."

Inuyasha scoffed at the boy and ruffled his hair. "That won't happen. I'll make some fried rice for us and a soup for mom, alright?"

The boy nodded, "I really like rice omelette."

"I didn't say I was going to make rice omelette, only fried rice and soup."

Asahi gave him a look. "You don't know how to make them, dad?"

Inuyasha scoffed again. "I'll make you rice omelette and you'll know how good they are."

The boy smiled and went to cook his part.

By the time that the three rice omelettes and the chicken broth porridge was finished, Inuyasha remembered why he prefered ramen. It was faster, cleaner and so much easier.

The father-son pair decided to eat together with Kagome, so they took the three trays they had, Inuyasha carrying two with the dishes and the pitcher of water and Asahi carrying the extra tray and the cups.

Asahi opened the door quietly. Inside Kagome was sleeping on her back, with one arm around her torso and the other thrown up, curling around her head, slightly resting her cheek on it.

It was the first time he entered Kagome's bedroom and the first thing he noticed was that he loved the way it smelled. It was her scent mixed with Asahi's. It gave him a small satisfaction knowing there were no other scent there. Trying to take his mind away from those kind of thoughts, he looked around.

She had a desk on the wall farthest to the door, where he left the food. A small chest close to it caught his attention. It was something he remembered well. Inuyasha started to walk towards the small chest when his son's voice distracted him.

"Mom," the boy said in a whisper, close to Kagome's face.

She made a soft mewling noise before stirring softly. Inuyasha smiled at the adorable image before him. Asahi was sitting on the end of the bed leaning towards her. Kagome had turned towards the boy, her body curling around him, her half-asleep eyes focusing on him with a soft smile on her lips.

"Mom! We made you food!" he declared with a grin.

"You did?" she stopped for a moment. "You did?" she asked again with a different tone, one that was not very pleased and slightly frightened.

"He cooked the side dishes," Inuyasha commented, "and he gave me instructions on how you like your food."

Inuyasha was trying to tell her that the pup had not been alone in the kitchen without making it obvious. He knew the message was received when Kagome let out a small relieved sigh and smiled.

"Yes. I helped dad and we made food!"

Kagome ruffled his hair and sat on the bed. "Thank you! Actually I'm very hungry right now."

Inuyasha stared at her intently, searching for signs that told him she felt better. Her head turned to him as if she was feeling his eyes on her.

"How you feel?" his voice was harsher than he expected. Feeling a little embarrassed he cleared his throat. "Better?"

Kagome nodded slowly. "A little better, thank you. The nausea is gone." She smiled at him and gave them a thumbs up.

Asahi beamed, "Good! Because we have tons of food!"

He started to point at the tray that he had put on the floor before coming to her bed, and to the one on the desk. "We have everything ready!"

Inuyasha went back to the desk and brought the food to the bed at the same time Asahi poured water in the cups and left them on the night stand. Asahi jumped to bed, moving to the side to leave a space beside him, where the boy patted.

"Sit," the boy ordered with a smile.

Before following, Inuyasha looked at Kagome for some kind of permission. After all, it was her bed and even if they were only going to eat there it still felt like he was intruding into her private place. His cheeks started to feel hot and he just  _knew_  his ears were twitching, the bastards.

The woman in front of him just smiled, with a bit of blush in her cheeks too. "Sit down, Inuyasha. The food is gonna go cold."

He sat down quietly, right where Asahi had indicated. In his chest his heart started to dance when Kagome asked what was hers and Asahi told her what was specially for her and told her to eat all the side dishes.

Inuyasha took his own plate, with his ears still trained on Kagome, waiting for her to start eating. When she did and gave an approving sound, he finally breathed normally.

The meal was fun, with Asahi talking about their trip to the grocery store and all the things he did in the kitchen. As the hanyou ate in silence, he took his time watching them.

Asahi with his big smiles, twitchy black ears and his voice that kept getting louder every time he got excited and Kagome, trying to cover her winces when the pup shouted, reminding him to eat and not only talk and putting more vegetables in the boy's plate.

It was truly a beautiful sight. Inuyasha once again stared at the girl that he had never thought to see again; once again that overwhelming emotion came over him. There he was, the hanyou whose only brother despised him, the one who thought that he was alone, was now sitting in front of his son and the woman that had given him that gift.

Kagome's eyes found his and she gave him a questioning look. At the same time Asahi tugged at his shirt.

"Dad, can I eat my snack now? I ate all my food!"

Inuyasha nodded after checking the boy's food was indeed gone. "Alright. But only one bag."

The boy smiled in a way that for some reason seemed evil and darted downstairs.

"Hey! One of the SMALL bags!" he said knowing the boy could hear him.

When he heard a grumpy "why?" and some bags rustling he turned to Kagome again.

She smiled softly. "I also get those moments when I look at him," she whispered playing with a piece of vegetable in her plate.

"What?" he whispered before being able to stop himself.

She gave him a quick side glance and went back to her food. "You got that look on your face that was something between surprise and fear... and that is exactly how I feel sometimes... when I see Asahi. When I think about how having him with me saved me from so many things... the happiness that it brings me but also the fear of losing that happiness." She blinked a couple of times and made a face. "Maybe I'm overthinking that face... Sorry."

The quietness in the room, and the soft way that she had explained was surprisingly close to what he was feeling. The only difference was that her fear was something hypothetical, but in his case he would be away from them in a couple of days.

Inuyasha shook his head. "You-You're not wrong," he commented in the same soft, private tone. "But what did you mean by-"

His question was interrupted by Asahi who came running back to them with three chip bags. "I brought one for mom and one for dad!" he announced as he placed the three bags on the bed, rapidly picking one. "This is mine!"

The hanyou looked at both trying to choose from them at the same time Kagome shook her head. "I have no space left for snacks. You made me a lot of food and now I'm full!"

Asahi nodded proudly with his mouth full of chips. Inuyasha started to put everything back on the trays.

"Alright, you're well fed. Now you can go back to sleep," he said without looking at her.

He could hear her annoyed huff. "I feel better, I can go with you."

Ignoring the woman, Inuyasha turned to Asahi, who was already done with his snack and was eyeing the other two bags. "Pup, take this to the kitchen. We need to clean here so mom can go back to sleep."

The boy nodded and soon he was walking to the kitchen carefully, with his eyes glued to his cargo.

"Inuyasha... I'm fine! You don't need to do this."

He finished taking everything off the bed and held the remaining tray on his hip.

"Keh! You're a lousy liar Kagome".

"I'm serious. I'm fine."

"I don't think that you are fine if the pup's voice makes you uncomfortable."

Her cheeks tinted red and her eyes drifted to her hands. "It's not that bad," she mumbled.

Inuyasha scoffed and walked closer. Her head tilted back not losing the sight of his face. To make her understand- not because her eyes on him was doing something weird to his stomach, like butterflies or some shit- Inuyasha put his hand on her face and pushed her back to the bed.

"Just rest. I'll take care of the pup," he said with voice that sounded strangely deep in his ears, without taking his hand off her forehead.

He had pushed her back until her head was on her pillow. She covered his hand with hers and the contact brought more of those things that weren't butterflies to his belly. Her fingers were barely touching but he felt her warmth.

"Are you sure?"

"Keh! Go to sleep and don't worry about it, woman!"

She gave him a soft smile and squeezed his hand before letting it go. Inuyasha walked to the door, his hand tingling.

"Inuyasha..." she called when he was already at the door.

For a second his head drowned in all the different possibilities of the reason why she was calling. Maybe she was going to tell him to go home. Maybe she wanted to tell him to wake her up later. Maybe she was going to tell him he couldn't go back to her room anymore. His cheeks became red as he thought of other options. What if she wanted to give him a goodnight kiss? Or to tell him he could use her bed that night. As the ideas became increasingly unreal he shook his head trying to focus on the girl that stared at him from the bed.

"Uh? Yeah?"

"Just don't let him make a mess, alright?"

Without his knowledge his ears flattened on his head. "Don't worry, Kagome. Goodnight," he said.

Kagome frowned at him for a moment."G-good night...?" she answered.

Inuyasha closed the door and walked down to the kitchen, placed the tray on the counter and searched for his son in the living room, where the boy was already searching for a movie to watch.

As he sat down on the couch, Inuyasha felt his cheeks redden once again as he stared at the clock. He had told Kagome goodnight and it wasn't five in the afternoon yet.

When the boy was ready, he came back to the couched and settled in the same position he had done the last time.

The hanyou was not paying attention to the movie. Just enjoying the feeling of holding his pup. Trying to breath in his scent. Loving how trusting the boy was. At the same time his head was distracted by all the things he wanted to do and imagining how things could be different if he wasn't just a guest in this home. Something that became painfully obvious when Asahi asked with a quiet voice.

"Dad...?"

"Mhm?"

"Are you gonna be here tomorrow?"

Inuyasha nuzzled the boy's head tenderly. "Yes, I'll be here, why?"

Without answering his question, Asahi said, "Even at night?"

Inuyasha's brows went low with worry, "Maybe not all night, why?"

"Why not?" the boy turned his face to his father waiting for an answer.

"Um... because I need to discuss it with your mom... this is her house, pup."

The look on Asahi's face changed from worried to determined before turning back to the T.V. "I'll talk with my mom, then." The hand that the boy had around his neck softly stroked the back of Inuyasha's head. "Don't worry."

Inuyasha blinked confused a couple of times, not very sure of what had just happened, feeling slightly worried about what exactly Asahi was going to talk about with Kagome.

'I just hope she doesn't throw me out' he thought. Hoping that whatever Asahi was thinking about wasn't as ominous as it felt.

**To be continued...**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally an update! Yaay!
> 
> It has been a really long time since the last update, almost a year and I'm so sorry about it. I got engrossed in another stories and lost track of time. I will try to write updates more regularly.
> 
> Thank you for reading and supporting this story and I really hope this chapter was worth the wait and it was what you were waiting for u.u
> 
> As always, thank you for taking the time to read, review and like this story.
> 
> I promise to make an effort to update soon!
> 
> Love,
> 
> Nanna

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you like the story, I’m really thankful for everyone who likes to read my stories, thank you.
> 
> This is the answer my brain gave me when I wanted to write for the feudal-prompts event. It had nothing to do with the prompt I wanted to work with, but I’m happy with the results though.
> 
> I’ve always love the idea of Inuyasha as a parent and having him react to the news was an idea that has been on my mind for a while.
> 
> Also, I’d love to know your thoughts on the story. And again, thank you for reading, leaving kudos and leaving a review, thank you for taking the time.
> 
> Love,  
> Nanna.
> 
> A/N: This was planned as a one shot, but as it was finished and more and more kept coming into existance, it is now a series.


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